Police repeatedly tried to get me to reveal confidential and privilege information about private investigator P Balasubramaniam, said lawyer N Surendran today.

Surendran who was called up to give a statement today at the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) in Kuala Lumpur said it was “improper procedure and abuse of investigative process” for the police to have done so.

p balasubramaniam missing pi kumaresan pc 070708 surendran “I was repeatedly asked to disclose information which was given to me by my client in my capacity as a lawyer.

“This was an uncalled for act to call me in for questioning because throughout I have been acting as a lawyer on behalf of my client, K Kumaresan,” he said at a brief press conference outside the department.

Kumaresan is Balasubramaniam’s nephew who lodged a missing person’s report with the Brickfields police after the latter’s disappearance last week.

Balasubramaniam attracted notoriety after his July 1 statutory declaration, which implicated Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Following this, the former Special Branch officer suddenly retracted all references to Najib in another statutory declaration made on July 4, claiming that the first sworn statement was made under duress.

Surendran received a fax yesterday asking him to give a statement to the police about Balasubramaniam’s disappearance and the two controversial statutory declarations.

“All the questions related to privilege information which I am bound by law not to reveal to anyone including the police.

“It seems to be an attempt to gather information regarding the two statutory declarations and find out what was my involvement in this.

“I have declined to answer most of their questions on grounds of privilege,” adding that the police are likely to call him in for questioning again. surendran kumaresan 110708 ambiga

Ambiga: A ridiculous situation

Also present was Bar Council president S Ambiga who expressed the legal profession’s concerns over this phenomenon of hauling lawyers up for questioning.

“We are very concerned because this affects the legal profession as a whole and our grave concerns stems from the fact that lawyers are being called in for doing their jobs.

“It is a ridiculous situation, it must stop because lawyers must be free from fear of favour. If lawyers are hauled in for acting for their clients, that is a severe intrusion into the whole justice system,” she said.

She added that the council will write to inspector general of police Musa Hassan next week to seek assurance that the authorities will not interfere with lawyers who are carrying out their professional duties.

surendran kumaresan 110708 edmund “We need to know that these acts of intimidation and harassment will not be carried out against lawyers who are only doing their jobs under the Legal Profession Act,” she said.

Surendran had arrived at the CCID at 3pm and was accompanied by Ambiga, lawyer Edmund Bon and several supporters when he went in for questioning.

According to him, he was quizzed by ASP Abdul Halid Hj Ludin for almost an hour.