| Lawyer Wee Choo Keong has shot down fellow lawyer VK Lingam’s claim of having been “cleared” of graft allegations following Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) investigations in 1998.
W ee said the ACA has confirmed that it had a case against Lingam when it forwarded its findings to the Attorney-General’s (AG) Chambers, as revealed by the agency’s deputy director-general Abu Kassim Mohamad yesterday.
“I challenge Lingam to produce evidence stating that he was cleared by ACA. The ACA has never made such a statement,” Wee said in a statement today.
Lingam, who had been questioned for about five hours yesterday, told reporters later that he believes that the ACA had cleared him of any wrong doing.
However, Wee pointed out that, in 1998, the AG was Mokhtar Abdullah whose name had also been mentioned in ACA reports lodged by Lingam’s younger brother Thirunama Karasu.
“Therefore, even if there was a decision made by Mokhtar to clear Lingam, such decisions would be extremely questionable and contrary to the rules of natural justice,” said Wee, adding that one must not be a judge in his own cause.
“In the spirit of transparency and good governance, I call upon the Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail to act on the recommendations of the ACA, which are nine years overdue, on the allegations against Lingam in 1998.”
Thirunama had, in his report, detailed Lingam’s alleged links with former chief justices, several judges, Mokhtar and a former inspector-general of police.
A similar report, lodged in March this year and publicised by Wee on Sunday, led to Thirunama and Lingam being called up on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively for questioning.
Wee accompanied Thirunama during the seven-hour marathon interrogation and was himself questioned.
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