As the disciplinary proceeding against prominent corporate lawyer Cecil Abraham continues this weekend over alleged professional misconduct, it is understood that senior lawyer Americk Sidhu has finished giving his testimony.
Sources familiar with the inquiry told Malaysiakini that Americk testified before the three-member panel of the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board almost two weeks ago on Oct 29, at the height of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II appeal.
With this, the board had already heard testimonies from two lawyers, namely Americk and another key witness who is also a senior lawyer, who was allegedly first approached by some VVIPs to draft the controversial second statutory declaration (SD) of the late P Balasubramaniam over the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.
The senior lawyer, whose identity remains confidential, had testified on Oct 1.
Cecil is being probed under Section 94 of the Legal Profession Act 1976, where the board has the power to strike a person off the roll or suspend the person for misconduct.
The hearing, which is done behind closed doors and in secrecy, will resume on Saturday with several witnesses being subpoenaed.
It is understood that controversial carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishian is one of those called as a witness, but it is uncertain whether he will testify at the proceeding this week.
‘Deepak regretted having role in second SD’
Deepak had previously told Malaysiakini in an interview two years ago, that be regretted having a role involved in Bala’s second SD, where he claimed he helped at a request of “a female friend”.
Americk was Balasubramaniam’s lawyer, and helped draft the first SD in July 2008 that revealed that present prime minister Najib Abdul Razak had links with the slain Mongolian translator.
However, the next day the private investigator had retracted the controversial first SD, following the alleged roles played by Deepak and Cecil.
The complaint against Cecil was filed by the Bar Council in April last year, following revelations that Balasubramaniam’s second SD retracting his explosive first SD, was not sanctioned by the private eye but allegedly drafted by the senior lawyer.
This follows Americk had revealed in the Malaysian Bar annual general meeting (AGM) that Cecil had confided in him that Najib had instructed the prominent lawyer (Cecil) to help draft the second SD.
The AGM which was held a day after Balasubramaniam passed away, was debating a motion on setting up an independent committee to investigate who had drafted the second SD.
It is also reported that Balasubramaniam’s widow and family had filed a suit against Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor, Cecil and Deepak, among others, following the second SD which had resulted in them being exiled to India for five years.
The civil court case will come up on Nov 20 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, with the defendants applying to strike out the suit. -M'kini
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