2 Secretaries of Secord May Get Immunity

WASHINGTON —  The Senate committee investigating the Iran- contra affair voted Thursday to seek immunity for two secretaries who worked with retired Maj. Gen. Richard V. Secord in another attempt to unravel what he knows about the affair.

Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the committee, said panel members agreed to seek limited immunity for Shirley Napier and Joan Corbin, whom he described as “low-level” employees of Secord’s company.

Gerard Treanor, the lawyer for the two women, said both have worked for Secord and are the only two secretaries at the firm, Stanford Technology Trading Group International.

Subpoenaed by Walsh

Treanor said congressional investigators approached the two women last month and that the two have also been subpoenaed by independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh. He said the subpoenas covered their testimony before the grand jury as well as any documents, including their personal address books.

Inouye said Walsh did not object to the panel’s immunity action, which brings to 12 the number of witnesses voted limited immunity from prosecution by congressional committees.

After an immunity vote, the committees must obtain a court order granting immunity, which promises witnesses that they will not be prosecuted for their direct testimony.

Secord has refused to cooperate with congressional investigators and may face contempt charges if he fails to grant them access to Swiss bank accounts he controls.