exclusive V Thirunama Karasu has no doubt that the person talking on the phone in the much publicised 'judicial fixing' video tape is his eldest brother, senior lawyer VK Lingam.

Speaking to Malaysiakini yesterday in an exclusive two-hour interview, Thirunama, 50, confirmed that person depicted displays his brother's manner of speaking.

"He always says 'correct, correct, correct... yes, yes, yes...'.," said Thirunama ( left ), referring to the repetitive interjections by the person in the recorded phone conversation.

Lingam has withheld comment in relation to the video clip, only saying that he is prepared to testify before the royal commission of inquiry when it is established.

While convinced that the footage features his brother, Thirunama could not ascertain whether this was recorded in Lingam's house.

"I haven't been to his house. I don't know what the interior looks like. I've only seen his house from the outside," he claimed.

Thirunama then explained that his last visit to the premises was in 1996. Since then, he said Lingam ( photo ) had renovated the house.

"After the house (renovation) was completed, I did not go there. My last visit was in 1996... but the tape was supposed to (have been recorded) in 2002," said Thirunama, who is a self-employed electrician.

He said that he watch the infamous eight-minute video clip on the Internet. Thirunama had earlier denied he was the whistleblower who released the video footage.

Throughout the interview, Thirunama was calm and extremely careful with his answers, frequently consulting his lawyer, Wee Choo Keong, on whether certain matters could be made public.

The two had been questioned on Monday by the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in relation to a police report that Thirunama had lodged, alleging that Lingam had a close and corrupt relationship with senior judges.

'Compelled to agree'

Thirunama also said he had agreed to being interviewed by Malaysiakini in order to prove that he is not delusional , as Lingam has claimed.

"Do I look like a mad man?" he asked several times.

While he conceded that he was warded at two hospitals as a psychiatric patient several times between March and May 1998, he said he was putting an act as instructed.

However, he repeatedly stressed that he had been compelled to agree to being warded by his siblings and Lingam's "associates" who had threatened his safety and that of his children if he did not comply.

"They told me how to put (on an) act. They told me: Don't tie your shoelaces. Don't comb your hair. Don't shave your beard... Keep on scratching your head... ( left )

"This is true. This is what they told me (to do). I'm not making up this story... It was very difficult to put (on an) act. I'm cheating God. People are really suffering (in the psychiatric ward), but I was just putting (on) an act."

Thirunama explained that he was told to pretend to be crazy so that the ACA would dismissed his statement in which he had earlier told the agency about specific incidences of alleged judicial corruption involving his brother.

He said the ACA was at that time pursuing investigations into the Perwaja Steel scandal and that Lingam and his family were among those being questioned. Lingam was then a legal adviser for the ailing state company.

Embolden by Ramli

Thirunama said that, while working for Lingam between January to June in 1997, he had been in a position to witness several acts of corruption pertaining to the judiciary.

This allegations were outlined in his police report which he made in March this year.

He revealed that he was emblodened by former Sabah ACA chief Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan who accused his ex-boss, then agency's director-general Zulkipli Mat Noor of corruption.

Ramli went public with his allegations in early March this year, just before Thirunama filed his police report.

Thirunama also stressed that this was the only report he had lodged against Lingam and he did it because he felt a duty to do so "as a citizen". He denied he was blackmailing his brother as alleged.

Beginning Monday, Malaysiakini will publish the interview with Thirunama in a three-part report.

SPECIAL REPORT: The Lingam tape

Watch the 5-minute video here