Businessman Soh Chee Wen ( right ) today revealed a 'document' to prove that Transport Minister Dr Ling Liong Sik ( left ) had used his government office and time to conduct personal business dealings.

The 'document' was the front cover of a shares sale agreement draft between the minister's family business vehicle Linksun Avenue Sdn Bhd and Berjaya Group Bhd.

Soh told a press conference in Subang Jaya that the draft was faxed from the Transport Ministry to Berjaya at 9.05am o­n Dec 11, 1996.

Copies of the front page of the faxed document which were distributed to the press today had facsimile details o­n the top left which spelt "Kem Pengkutan" (abbreviation of Transport Ministry) and "Berjaya Group Bhd", coupled with their respective fax numbers.

The businessman accused Ling - who is also MCA president - of lying to the public when the latter denied that he had ever used his ministry office for private activities.

No choice

"I find no joy in telling all these. My intention is not to discredit him, but to let the people know the truth, whether I had lied or he had lied," said Soh.

The former MCA central committee member added that Ling's use of his office for private business dealings was a clear violation of the Akujanji agreement - a code of conduct for civil servants and university students introduced last year.

He added that his former political mentor's constant denial of their business relationship left him with no choice but to expose the evidence.

Soh claimed he had loaned Ling's family about RM150 million to acquire a 32 percent equity in Berjaya Industrial Bhd and also advised them o­n the deal.

He added that this was how he obtained a copy of the agreement.

"(However), I am not part of this agreement," said the businessman.

Asked if he had any knowledge about the alleged meeting between Ling and New York-based Austrian businessman Franz C Heldwein at the Transport Ministry in 1997, Soh said he can confirm the meeting took place.

He claimed Ling had lied when he denied that the meeting took place, adding that there were other witnesses as well.

Last Friday, Heldwein lodged a police report in Kuala Lumpur against Ling, his son Hee Leong and Soh, claiming the trio owed him RM100 million after their business deal fell through in 1997.

However, Ling claimed he did not remember the foreign businessman and has pledged 100 percent cooperation to police investigations.

Legal proceedings

Earlier, Soh told reporters that his lawyer filed a legal proceeding against Ling and Linksun Avenue last week to recover the money he had loaned to the company.

"My lawyer is in the process of serving the writ of summon to him (Ling) today whenever available," he said.

Asked if he had any hope of recovering his money, Soh said he was not happy about going to court and hopes the matter could be resolved in a different manner.

Hee Leong is the owner of Linksun Avenue (later renamed Rekapacific Berhad). He became an overnight corporate star after acquiring Berjaya Industrial Bhd from tycoon Vincent Tan for RM1.2 billion

In 1999, Soh fled the country when he was being investigated over his role in allegedly defrauding a now defunct brokerage firm, Omega Securities.

However, he returned to the country last May to face the charges against him and is currently out o­n bail.