So there you have it. The MACC officers, PI Bala, and Bala’s three lawyers will all be in London next week. But instead of Bala’s statement being recorded will we see the MACC officers being marched off to jail instead?
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
MACC is due to record Private Investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s statement on Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th July 2010.
The venue is the Holiday Villa in London. According to Berita Harian and The Star, the event has already been confirmed and Bala and his three lawyers are scheduled to be in London during that period.The latest, however, is that MACC has written to Bala’s lawyers to inform them that the lawyers will not be allowed to be present when Bala’s statement is recorded. The lawyers are adamant that they be present and will not back down on the issue. If MACC also does not back down then assume that the entire session is going to be aborted.
Maybe this is what they want. They don’t really want to take Bala’s statement because they are worried about what he is going to say. Bala is also going to bring all sorts of documents, which include evidence of the money he was paid to change his Statutory Declaration and come out with the SD2 to reverse what he said in SD1.
I have spoken to a group of British lawyers about this and they are planning to be at the Holiday Villa on the morning of Monday 5th July to challenge MACC on point of law.
MACC can’t quote Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Act or Official Secrets Act and impose these laws on British soil, the British lawyers told me. In Britain, every person, even a witness, has the right to legal representation. It is against British law for MACC to forbid Bala’s lawyers from being present while his statement is being recorded.
Anyway, Bala is giving his statement voluntarily. There is no summons or warrant issued against him. Bala is not compelled to give his statement if he does not wish to and there is nothing MACC can do. “So why play hard ball?” asked the British lawyers.
Furthermore, Britain has the Freedom of Information Act. So MACC can’t use Malaysia’s Official Secrets Act to challenge Britain’s Freedom of Information Act, added the British lawyers.
If MACC wants to conduct an illegal operation in London then we shall have to bring this matter to the attention of the British police and get the MACC officers arrested and charged, the British lawyers said.
This is Britain and not Malaysia, which practices the law of the jungle, added the lawyers. The MACC officers can’t disregard the law and push it’s weight around in Britain like they do in Malaysia. They will find themselves in trouble with the law if they try that.
So there you have it. The MACC officers, PI Bala, and Bala’s three lawyers will all be in London next week. But instead of Bala’s statement being recorded will we see the MACC officers being marched off to jail instead?
I think I will hang around the Holiday Villa with my camera next Monday just to witness the fun. And I am sure many Special Branch officers from Bukit Aman will also be there with their cameras to take shots of me as well. By the way, I will be the person wearing a French cap, American jeans, Polo shirt, holding a Japanese camera, and with a Cuban cigar in my mouth.
Now that is what I call globalisation.
