An Internal Security Act (ISA) detainee - lawyer M Manoharan - will be among four new witnesses told to appear next week before the royal commission of inquiry into the Lingam tape.

Commission chief Haidar Mohd Noor confirmed at the end of today’s proceeding that the four will testify when the high-profile inquiry resumes next Tuesday, after a break for the Chinese New Year holidays.

Apart from Manoharan, the commission has sought the presence of senior lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and two former employees of lawyer VK Lingam - his former secretary Jeyanthi and ex-driver Chandran.

temple demolition court case 260307 m manoharan Manoharan, a legal advisor to the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), was arrested with four of the movement’s leaders on Dec 13 last year. They are currently being held under the ISA at the Kamunting detention camp in Taiping, Perak.

Haidar appeared to be unaware that Manoharan, who is also a DAP leader, is in detention. He asked lawyer Karpal Singh whether his client (Manoharan) could show up next Tuesday.

"My client is under ISA detention," Karpal told Haidar, but added that the internal security minister - who signs the detention order - has discretion to allow Manoharan to be produced in court or for an inquiry.

karpal singh Recounting his own experience as a detainee, Karpal said: "When I was held under ISA, I was brought to court after the attorney-general intervened and talked to the minister."

haidar mohd noor Haidar (photo) then ordered deputy public prosecutor Nordin Hassan, who is assisting the commission as inquiry officer, to contact the attorney-general to ensure that Manoharan is brought before the inquiry.

  • Manoharan’s name was brought up in the proceedings, as allegedly having acted for Lingam’s brother V Thirunama Karasu - the duo were said to have extorted money from Lingam for not exposing the lawyer’s purported close ties with several top judges.

  • Shafee is in possession of the negatives of Lingam’s infamous 1994 New Zealand holiday photos with former chief justice Mohd Eusoff Chin.

  • Jeyanthi was instrumental in arranging the trip for Lingam although Lingam has denied she was his secretary, saying there are many people named Jeyanthi.

    • No specific information was immediately available as to why Chandran's presence is required, but all four are believed to be able to shed more light on the scandalous issues revealed to date.

    The commission has so far has called 18 witnesses.

    Shafee’s claim refuted

    The commission has yet to rule on whether it will call three other potential witnesses - former High Court judge KL Rekhraj, Lingam’s sister VK Lashimi and psychiatrist Dr M Mahadevan who had treated Thirunama. Applications have been submitted for them to testify.

    Rekhraj’s name was brought up at the inquiry yesterday when Shafee said the former had lodged a police report against him previously over breach of official secrets.

    muhammad shafee abdullah Shafee (photo) claimed the former judge, however, had apologised to him later over the phone for having lodged the report and said he had been instructed to so by Eusoff.

    This was denied by both Rekhraj and Eusoff today.

    "Rekhraj has asked me to confirm that he never phoned Shafee to apologise and there is no need to apologise. He made the police report against Shafee after being advised by then attorney-general Mohtar Abdullah," Eusoff’s lawyer Hazman Ahmad told the commission.

    He said Eusoff has also denied having instructed Rekhraj to do so.

    A black diary

    Thirunama continued his testimony this afternoon with counsel for the Malaysian Bar, Christopher Leong, questioning him.

    Asked if he knew why Lingam had gone to Eusoff’s house at late hours and in different cars, the 50-year-old electrician said this was because Lingam did not want to be recognised.

    thirunama lingam interview 231107 closeup On whether Lingam told him the purpose of those visits, Thirunama replied: "Only on two occasions - one is (about) Ayer Molek and another is (about) Insas."

    He said he could not recall if Lingam was using more than one handphone number and did not know his estranged brother’s number in 2001.

    "I only know one (phone) number he was using," said Thirunama (photo).

    To another question, Thirunama said he had recorded what Lingam told him in a black diary as he was very "frightened" of his brother.

    "If I forget things, he will shout at me," he explained.

    The black diary later became the subject of investigation when the Anti-Corruption Agency started a probe against Lingam in 1998.

    Thirunama will continue testifying when the panel reconvenes next week.