Bala’s lawyer slams MACC over claim
(The Star) – Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s lawyer has rubbished a claim by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigations director that it was his client who had delayed recording his statement.
“This is absolute rubbish! They were never ready and this chap Mustafar (Ali) is pulling wool over everyone’s eyes.
“Bala has always been ready and available,” said his counsel Manjeet Singh Dhillon in an email to The Star from London yesterday.
Manjeet was responding to a report in an English daily yesterday that the MACC was recording his client’s statement in July at Balasubramaniam’s request.
“We were ready a long time ago but he said he would only be ready in July,” Mustafar had said.
Mustafar’s statement came a day after Manjeet was reported in The Star as saying he was going to London to look for a neutral venue for the MACC to record Balasubramaniam’s statement relating to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
On April 19, MACC Deputy Commissioner Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull said they would meet Balasubramaniam “anywhere he felt appropriate” and not only at Malaysian embassies abroad, but yesterday Mustafar was quoted as saying they would decide on the venue for the interview in London.
“(We need to identify) where to record his statement. We cannot simply do as he wishes.”
Manjeet said it was ridiculous for Mustafar to suggest replacing the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore with the Malaysian High Commission in London.
A proposed interview at the High Commission in the island republic was scrapped because the MACC said it would be classified under the Official Secrets Act, and conducted without video-recording or lawyers.
Manjeet said Mustafar should stop using the media to project an image inconsistent with the facts.
“If the MACC is serious and sincere about doing the job, they should get on with things and respond to my letter of Jan 22,” he said.
