Failing to see A-G, Deepak writes in for immunity

Deepak gestures outside the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya, January 18, 2013. — File pic

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 13 ― Carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan submitted today his application for immunity under the Witness Protection Act and gave Tan Sri Abdul Gani Pattail a month to respond, after failing to meet the Attorney-General (AG) at his office here this afternoon.

“If he fails to respond, then I hope by then there is already a new government and hope it will take action,” the controversial businessman told reporters after a short meeting with representatives from the A-G’s Chambers.

“The A-G’s court is the final bastion of justice and if justice is not served then we might as well shut down the courts because the legal system has collapsed,” he added.

Deepak had previously said he would first seek protection as a whistleblower before making further exposés on alleged power abused involving the country’s top leadership.

The carpet dealer had recently admitted that he helped private investigator P. Balasubramaniam repudiate the latter’s earlier statutory declaration on the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement.

In his letter to the A-G, Deepak said he was ready to co-operate with the relevant institutions should a “certificate of immunity” to shield him from any prosecution.

“The A-G has the power to issue this certificate. He has this power as provided under the Constitution,” said PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar, who accompanied the carpet dealer at today’s meeting.

Mahfuz had promised to look into the carpet dealer’s request for protection after Deepak claimed he had been a victim of government intimidation.

The businessman has been in the limelight of late, lobbing repeated accusations against Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Umno leaders, and has promised to dish more dirt on other scandals linked to other politicians and even the prime minister’s family members.

Deepak’s allegations prompted the Bar Council to launch an investigation on the identity of the lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of the second sworn statement on the matter but said Deepak had refused to co-operate.

A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam’s second SD, dated 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.

Najib denied any involvement in the drafting of Balasubramaniam’s second sworn statement on the 2006 murder of Altantuya.

He said Deepak’s allegations were not true and dismissed them as a non-issue while saying that the businessman was not a credible person