PKR to present missing key witness in Lingam’s New Zealand trip

KUALA LUMPUR — PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah promised today to present the missing key witness in Datuk V.K. Lingam’s infamous New Zealand trip with the former Chief Justice Tun Eusoff Chin in Parliament soon.

Lingam was implicated in a scandal involving senior government judges and found by a royal commission to be the person recorded “fixing” the appointment of judges.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found strong evidence against Lingam and in its report suggested that action be taken against him and others implicated in the infamous “correct, correct, correct” recording.

Other figures implicated include Eusoff, Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and tycoon Vincent Tan, a close friend of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Photos also emerged of Eusoff and Lingam together on a holiday in New Zealand in the late 1990s.

Even though Eusoff claimed the meeting with Lingam in New Zealand was a coincidence, testimony by Lingam’ former secretary L.G. Jayanthi contradicted his claim.

Jayanthi claimed that she was instructed by her boss to make travel arrangements for him and his family together with Eusoff’s family to New Zealand.

MACC has said that they are unable to proceed with the investigation into the New Zealand trip because they could not locate a key witness.

“This we find totally unacceptable, we personally are in contact with the key witness and we are shocked that MACC and all of its resources is still unable to locate a witness whom they know about and unable to prosecute this blatant act of corruption where this lawyer paid for the trip to New Zealand for the then number one judge in this country,” Sivarasa told reporters at Parliament lobby.

He added that the inability of MACC to “act in the face of clear evidence” raises questions on the commission's integrity.

“Since the MACC says that they can't contact the key witness to take the investigation on the New Zealand trip any further, we just want to show that there is a problem with the attitude and inaction of the MACC,” he said.

Sivarasa refused to divulge who the key witness is and said that her identity will be revealed soon.

Sivarasa also called on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to sack the Attorney-General for failing to perform his duties after the government recently announced that the Lingam case is closed.

“We think it is a scandal of the highest order to close such a high-profile case that rocked the county for the last several years. The Najib administration has given the reason that no evidence was found to prove abuse of power in judicial appointments but the royal commission in its report has clearly stated otherwise,” he explained. (TMI)