The royal commission of inquiry into the VK Lingam tape - sat behind closed doors on Day 9 of its proceedings.

This is the first time that the commission held a closed-door session since the inquiry into the controversial video kicked off last week.

Save for the last one hour where a digital expert was recalled as a witness, members of the media and the public were barred from following the proceedings as the commission heard submissions from lawyers M Puravalen and Wee Choo Keong.

The duo are representing ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim and lawyer VK Lingam’s brother, Thirunama Karasu, respectively. Anwar and Thirunama have expressed their intention to testify.

A notice put up outside the inquiry room initially stated that the proceedings will be opened to public at 2.30pm after the submissions are completed but the closed-door session dragged on to about 4.30pm.

Poser over closed-door session

Both Puravalen and Wee were tightlipped over their submissions on grounds that the proceedings were held in secret. Nevertheless, they revealed that a decision is expected to be announced next Monday.

It is believed that the lawyers, in making their submissions, made references to certain personalities and their alleged involvement in court case-fixings as well as judge-fixings.

It is also believed that Puravalen argued on the importance to bring in two ‘secret witnesses’ - codenamed ‘Mr X’ and ‘Mr Y’ - that Anwar intended to introduce as they could give evidence of judicial fixing and corruption in the judiciary.

The two ‘secret witnesses’ are expected to be another younger brother of Lingam - Rajendram Vellupillai - whose identity was unwittingly revealed by one commissioner - and former Bank Negara assistant governor Abdul Murad Khalid.

Whereas Wee had previously argued that Thirunama could prove Lingam’s alleged close ties with judges.

Lingam (photo, right) has been implicated as being the man in the video clip brokering judicial appointments but the lawyer has insisted that the person only “looks like me and sounds like me”.

The commission announced yesterday that it would hear Puravalen and Wee’s submissions behind closed-door but has not given an official reason for this.

It could not be ascertained if the decision is linked to its earlier stand that Anwar’s witness statement contains a number of allegations.

When met later, lawyer Yusmadi Yusoff was of the view that the inquiry should remain open to public.

“I am personally of the view that it should be a public inquiry, not a private inquiry, (because) only that can bring back the confidence of the public,” he said.

Yusmadi, who is part of Anwar’s legal team, pointed out that the commission has the discretion in deciding if it wanted to hold its inquiry behind closed-doors or otherwise.

“Under the Act, they are empowered to have the proceedings in-camera until they identify which part of the evidence can be allowed. The issue is now how they can balance between public interest and private life,” he added.

Eusoff, Dzaiddin to be called

Meanwhile, the commission - which was to wrap up its hearing today - has extended the hearing for three days till next Wednesday.

A secretariat staff told reporters that the commission is expected to recall former chief justice Mohd Eusoff Chin next Monday and his successor Dzaiddin Abdullah the following day.

Two other key witnesses which are yet to take the stand are business tycoon Vincent Tan and former chief justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

Tan and Lingam made an appearance at the Duta court complex but did not testify.