Bar Council must expose lawyer behind Bala’s second SD, says activist

Haris said enough people know the lawyer’s identity now to justify making it public. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 ― Political activist Haris Ibrahim will lobby the Bar Council to reveal the identity of the senior lawyer who drafted private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s controversial second sworn statement on the 2006 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Haris, formerly a law practitioner himself, said he will file a request with the council tomorrow, citing grounds that the senior lawyer had committed “the gravest of sins” by drafting the statutory declaration (SD) without first consulting Balasubramaniam.

“There is sufficient evidence to allow the Bar Council to investigate this matter. If the council views this as seriously as I do and many other senior lawyers (do), they will get to the bottom of this fiasco once and for all,” Haris told The Malaysian Insider when contacted here.

He pointed out that recent developments surrounding the matter, particularly with the re-emergence of businessman Deepak Jaikishan into the mix, would warrant enough reason for the council to take action.

Haris explained that while in the past the identity of the lawyer behind the SD had remained “mysterious”, it was recently openly revealed by Deepak himself, during his disclosure in an interview with PAS organ Harakah.

During the interview, which was recorded and uploaded by Harakah on its “TVPAS” channel on YouTube, the carpet dealer had let slip the lawyer’s name when explaining his role in the second SD.

But in the 14:39s clip, the name was muted out.

“Still, this means that enough individuals know the identity of this lawyer ― Deepak, PAS TV, and definitely, the editorial team. We can now kick off an investigation and reveal this person,” Haris said.

On the activist’s blog on Friday, Haris detailed his intention to write to the Bar Council and also threatened to reveal the lawyer’s name if his request is not met after 14 days.

He said he knows the identity of the “Tan Sri” lawyer from three independent and reliable sources, and would not hesitate to spill the beans if needed.

“I will write to the Bar Council to ask if they will launch an investigation into this sordid affair,” he pledged in the post.

Balasubramaniam’s second sworn statement came a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya’s 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences.

In a harried press conference then, Balasubramaniam, accompanied by lawyer M. Arulampalam, came out to withdraw his first SD, claiming it had been signed under duress.

He then produced a second one, which he claimed later in 2009 had been prepared by another lawyer without his consultation.

Deepak hit the headlines when blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin exposed his role in facilitating the private detective’s second SD to repudiate the first statement.

The businessman is now in the news for suing Selangor Wanita Umno chief Senator Datuk Raja Ropiaah Abdullah Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd for criminal breach of trust in the sale of 223.33 acres of land in Bukit Raja.