JURIST - Paper Chase: New Malaysia 'judicial fixing' video released by opposition leader

[JURIST] A Malaysian opposition leader released the third part of a video [YouTube video; PDF transcript] Monday that allegedly shows prominent Malaysian lawyer VK Lingam admitting to having bribed former Chief Justice Dzaiddin Abdullah. Abdullah was Chief Justice from 2000 to 2003. According to a press release [text] from opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accompanying the video, Lingam is quoted as saying, "And we have given him [Abdullah] the most expensive gift. Don't ask about it lah. I have given him and Vincent Tan has given him." Vincent Tan is another lawyer involved in the scandal.

Ibrahim, Malaysia's former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition leader, released the first part of the video [JURIST report] in September, sparking a large protest led by the Malaysia Bar Council against judicial corruption. The first video allegedly shows Lingam bragging about arranging the appointment of "friendly" judges to the bench. Earlier this month, Lingam denied the accusations and claimed to have been intoxicated [JURIST report] when the video was captured.

The videos prompted a Royal Commission investigation into broader charges of corruption in Malaysia's judiciary. In the press release accompanying the video, Ibrahim says:

while the creation of the Royal Commission gave the Malaysian public some hope that the credibility and integrity of the Judiciary might be restored, we are unimpressed with the proceedings and the procedural decisions made by the Commissioners thus far. The Royal Commission must operate with the highest level of integrity and transparency so as not to be seen as feeding the rot which has tarnished the Malaysian Courts.

AP has more.

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