Tourism Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor one of the key players implicated in the Lingam tape has denied involvement in fixing the appointments of top judges.

Tengku Adnan, who was mentioned nine times in the explosive eight-minute tape, said he did not have the authority to have carried out such a deal when he was in former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's government.

" Mana boleh saya mengatur ? (How could I fix [the judicial posts]?) Saya bukan mengatur (I did not fix [the judges])," he told reporters after launching a new wing at Pantai Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

Last week, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim released the video recording of the telephone conversation between prominent lawyer VK Lingam with purportedly Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

The grainy video is believed to have been taken in early 2002 in Lingam's residence in Kelana Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, and revolves around the promotion of the judiciary top posts.

More than a dozen names were named in the conversation, including well-connected tycoon Vincent Tan.

According to the video, Lingam was to meet with Tengku Adnan and Tan - both of whom were business partners in the corporate world - to persuade Mahathir on the promotion of certain 'friendly' judges.

At that time, Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah was chief justice while Ahmad Fairuz was Chief Judge of Malaya, the judiciary's third highest post.

Anwar can say what he wants

Asked on Anwar's allegation that he was involved in the scandal, Tengku responded, "He can say whatever he wants. I don't want to comment."

"I was a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department (at that time) and I did take care of legal affairs. (It's) up to him (Anwar) what he wants to say," he said.

"Don't waste my time," added Tengku Adnan in brushing off further questions on the issue.

Tengku Adnan, who chairs the Umno Federal Territory state liaison committee, is the first key player named in the tape to have directly responded to the scandal.

The tape has been described by the Bar Council as the judiciary's worst scandal since the sacking of Lord President Tun Salleh Abbas in 1988.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak today announced a three-member independent panel headed by a former top judge to probe into the authenticity of the video.

However, this has fallen short of the Bar Council's demand for a full-blown royal commission.

SPECIAL REPORT: The Lingam tape

Watch the 30-second video here