Lawyer refuses to divulge info to cops

malaysiainsider | Lawyer M. Puravalen, who was Abdul Razak Baginda's first lawyer in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case two years ago, has refused to divulge to the police today the details of "privileged information" shared with him by his client.

The 54-year-old lawyer said such information when made in full confidentiality was a fundamental and sacrosanct aspect of the lawyer-client relationship.

"It enables the lawyer to defend his client fully. If this basis is eroded, then there is no basis for the criminal justice system," said the former KL Bar chief to reporters after he was questioned by the police for an hour this morning at the Commercial Crimes Department in Jalan Dato Onn here.

Puravalen said the police had asked him "certain questions on my professional relationship with (private investigator) P. Balasubramaniam" but he declined to comment on the exact nature of the questions.

He was accompanied by his counsel Akbar Hussain, Stanley Sinnapen and Oh Choong Ghee , his partner in his law firm, Sulaiman Abdullah and Bar Council president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.... selanjutnya.