Australian Cricket Board CEO Malcolm Speed had negotiated arrangements with Justice Qayyum for Taylor and Waugh to give evidence following the conclusion of the First Test at Karachi, on the condition that testimony was to remain confidential and that the security of the players would be ensured. To this end Justice Qayyum arranged for the players to be transported to his residence at Lahore on Tuesday afternoon to give evidence in camera. Somehow, the Pakistani media were informed and descended on Justice Qayyum's house in anticipation. The hearing was hastily relocated to the residence of the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court and conducted in his sitting room. Wednesday's on-line issue of ``The News'' (Karachi) shows a photograph of Taylor and Waugh arriving at the supposedly secret hearing.
Unbeknown to the Australian players who were accompanied to the hearing by CEO Speed (a lawyer by profession), Saleem Malik was also summoned to the hearing. Malik was accompanied by three lawyers who were there to cross- examine the Australians. The hearing lasted approximately ninety minutes.
The precise text of the testimony given by Taylor and Waugh has not been released as specified by Justice Qayyum, however Waugh has said to reporters that he repeated the allegations against Malik that he originally made in an affidavit in 1995. That affidavit included allegations that Malik had approached Waugh and offered $ US 200,000 if he could arrange for four or five Australian players to perform badly during the First Test of the 1994 tour so that Pakistan could win. Waugh said in his 1995 affidavit that he rejected the offer. Charges against Malik were rejected after a 1995 hearing by Justice Ebraheem, who stated in his judgment that the allegations against Malik ``appear to have been concocted for reasons best known to the accusers''.
Taylor said after the hearing that both he and Waugh were relieved that their part in the hearing was over. They were surprised at the presence of Malik and his legal team as they had been told before the hearing that no other persons would be present. Taylor did say, according to AAP, that he was happy with the circumstances of the meeting. Speed said that the atmosphere was quite friendly and the judge quite affable.
Today's newspapers in Karachi report more details of the ``secret'' hearing. It is reported that Saleem Malik was rushed from Rawalpindi at 8.30am to travel to Lahore for the hearing after being informed that Taylor and Waugh were giving evidence. He apparently attempted to have the hearing adjourned because of the short notice. Justice Qayyum is said to have dismissed the request as the allegations had been made nearly four years ago and were on the basis of sworn affidavits lodged by the Australians in 1995. PCB chairman Khalid Mahmood, who was also present for part of the hearing, spoke to reporters afterwards and said that Taylor and Waugh had trouble explaining why the original allegations had taken four months to come into the open. Other reports of the hearing describe how Mark Waugh looked Saleem Malik in the eye as he repeated his allegations. A further article in today's ``The News'' speculates that Mahmood may be in trouble with the Lahore High Court for disclosing details of the ``in camera'' testimony.
The commission of inquiry returns to the Lahore High Court on Thursday to receive more testimony from Ata-ur-Rehman, along with Imran Khan, Aamer Sohail, Wasim Akram, plus members of the original PCB probe committee and Pakistan team officials.