PI Bala’s lawyers will wait for MACC officers
(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyers for private investigator P. Balasubramaniam will wait for Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officers to record their client’s statement as planned earlier.
This was because the lawyers have yet to receive any official word from MACC on the cancellation.
Americk Sidhu, a member of Balasubramaniam’s three-man legal team, said he will be flying to London from Perth today for the meeting, was scheduled for July 5 and 6.
“The person I have been in contact with at the MACC, Abdul Rahman Bachok, has not notified me over the cancellation.”
“We have made prior arrangements to meet MACC officers and we will be at the Holiday Villa Hotel in London at 10am on Monday,” he said in a telephone interview from Perth yesterday.
Sidhu said Balasubramaniam will arrive in London today from India.
Another of Balasubramaniam’s counsel, Manjeet Singh Dhillon, is already in London.
“The lawyers have paid for their respective flights and hotel accommodation.”
“They are not being sponsored by any party,” Dhillon said.
“Our only intention is to assist the MACC and Bala in ensuring that justice is given consideration and that the perpetrators involved are brought to book,” he added.
MACC Legal and Prosecution Division director Datuk Abdul Razak Musa had said that the decision not to record Balasubramaniam’s statement was made after considering the case of Tan Sri Eric Chia where a statement taken from a witness abroad was not accepted as evidence in the corruption trial.
“In that case, the statement was dismissed because the witness who was in Japan refused to be present during trial here.”
“But in our case, Balasubramanian is willing to testify here if he is given full protection,” said Sidhu.
On Wednesday MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull said that instead of going to London to question Balasubramaniam, they have instead given a list of questions to his lawyer in the form of a sworn statement or affidavit.
“Why does the MACC want a lawyer to do its job?”
“Since when has it (MACC) asked a lawyer to record statements on its behalf?,” asked Sidhu.
