Friday January 25, 2008

Lawyer insists he and Eusoff Chin planned their NZ trip separately

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyer Datuk V.K. Lingam insisted that he and former Chief Justice Tun Mohamed Eusoff Chin planned their 1994 New Zealand holidays separately although their travel itinerary and flights schedule were almost identical.

He said his encounter with Eusoff at Changi airport in Singapore at the start of the trip was “a chance encounter” and not a ploy to camouflage their holiday together.

Questioned by Bar counsel Robert Lazar as to why Eusoff’s travel itinerary for that trip had the name of Eusoff’s secretary and a “Jeyanthi”, which coincidentally tallied with the name of Lingam’s secretary then, the witness said:

“I don’t know. There are so many Indian women by the name Jeyanthi. This document was first shown to me by the Anti-Corruption Agency in 1998. I told them the same thing.”

Lazar: So, in short you can’t give a reason?

Lingam: No.

Lazar: Can I suggest to you then that the reason that Jeyanthi’s name appeared was because it was a trip planned by you and Tun Eusoff in advance of Dec 22, 1994?

Lingam: That is not true.

Lazar: So, you are telling the Commission that it was a coincidence that Tun Eusoff and you used the same agent, your itinerary covered the same locations and flights?

Lingam: It was nothing unusual. It was a coincidence.

The lawyer also testified that there was no other trip, planned or coincidental, between him and Eusoff.

After further examination, Lingam then testified that there were altogether nine people travelling – the two families and Lingam’s bodyguard Tan Chong Paw.

Lazar: This entire trip to New Zealand, everywhere that Tun Eusoff went, you went also?

Lingam: No, not everywhere. We had our own programme in Auckland. Similarly in Christchurch. Tun Eusoff’s family had their own programme.

Lazar: This trip that started on Dec 2, you said you planned it. When did you arrange for it?

Lingam: I don’t know. We decided to go to New Zealand because we were very busy. My wife had a dental clinic. We decided that the Christmas and New Year seasons would be the best time to go. A relative suggested that we go to New Zealand.

I cannot recall the travel agent but looking at the document now, it appears to be Udara Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd and not Holiday Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd (the travel agent which prepared Eusoff’s itinerary).

But payment may have been made to another company.

Lazar: So, you are saying that tickets booked through one company but issued by another company?

Lingam: Yes.

Lazar then referred Lingam to a Nova Scotia bank cheque for the amount of RM24,912 issued by Lingam to Holiday Tours and Travel on Dec 21, 1994.

Lazar: And, now you are able to say that Holiday Tours is your travel agent?

Lingam: Yes.

Lingam then explained that the amount paid was to cover the travel expenses of his family and his bodyguard.

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