Thursday September 20, 2007
In a fix over naming of judges
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB
PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has released a video recording it obtained recently implicating a prominent lawyer purportedly brokering the appointment of judges.
The video clip shows the lawyer on the phone, seen and heard talking to someone who appears to be a very senior judge.
The shaky video with clear audio seems to have been recorded with a mobile phone without the knowledge of the lawyer.
Speaking at a press conference, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the video was taken in 2002 when the judge concerned was already in a high post.
He said the video had come into PKR’s possession only “very recently”, when a source who wanted to remain anonymous came forward and gave it to the party.
“I have met him (the source). But he wants to remain anonymous to protect his position and for security reasons,” he added.
Anwar said the source had disclosed that the video was taken at the lawyer’s home.
The video shows the lawyer talking about how he had supposedly helped get the judge appointed to the top judiciary posts through a prominent businessman and a politician, both of whom were close to the then Prime Minister.
The lawyer also speaks about how he was working through the same two contacts to get the judge elevated to higher positions.
The lawyer also named a number of prominent judges in the video.
The video is 14 minutes and 16 seconds long but PKR edited it to 8 minutes and 26 seconds to protect the identity of the source.
Anwar said PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa, who is also a lawyer, would lodge a report on the matter with the Anti-Corruption Agency and Bar Council as soon as possible, with the videotape as evidence.
He also said PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would seek an audience with the Conference of Rulers on the matter.
Members of the media were also given copies of the edited videotape and the transcript.
When contacted, Attorney General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said he and his officers had viewed the video clip, reports SHAILA KOSHY.
“We are studying it at the moment. I will reserve my comments until then on what we will do.”
Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan said they were appalled and disturbed by the clip, which “shows a lawyer apparently ‘fixing’ judicial appointments with a senior judge”.
She said there would be an emergency council meeting tomorrow. She also called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter.
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