cslee
2008-07-04 15:07:20 UTC
A Malaysian Private Eye Recants an Explosive Statement
Asia Sentinel - Hong Kong,SAR,China
The allegations against Najib have already undermined his standing as the
heir apparent to the leadership of the powerful United Malays National ...
<http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1306&Itemid=31>
A Malaysian Private Eye Recants an Explosive Statement
Tag it:Our Correspondent
04 July 2008
Complete reversal on charges against Malaysia's deputy prime minister raises
questions of political pressure
Related Story: More Twists in Murder Plot
See: Balasubramaniam's Statutory Declarations
In a stunning turnaround that raises as many questions as it answers, the Kuala
Lumpur-based private investigator who set off a firestorm Thursday by alleging
that Deputy prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was involved in the 2006 murder of
Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu today retracted the entire contents of
his statutory declaration and said he had made it under duress (Note: Both
declarations can be found here).
Media in Kuala Lumpur reported that P. Balasubramaniam, a private investigator
who once represented accused murderer Abdul Razak Baginda, said everything he
had alleged in his July 1 statutory declaration was wrong, then rushed off
without taking questions. Local media also reported that he had come under
severe pressure after releasing the declaration in the company of opposition
leader Anwar Ibrahim Thursday.
The investigator did not say who pressured him to issue the initial statement,
but his action today raises the inevitable specter that powerful political
forces are at work over the sensational murder. The allegations against Najib
have already undermined his standing as the heir apparent to the leadership of
the powerful United Malays National Organization. Opposition leaders denounced
the retraction as the result of political pressure and called for an
investigation.
The ongoing trial has thus far avoided questioning Najib or bringing his name
into the proceedings, with both prosecutors and defense attorneys challenging
attempts to have him brought into the proceedings.
Anwar, who himself faces recent allegations of forcibly sodomizing a 23-year-old
man who works in his office, was excoriated by pro-government loyalists from the
ruling Barisan Nasional coalition led by the UMNO after he released the initial
declaration. Najib and Anwar are bitter rivals for power who were once allied in
UMNO before Anwar was booted out of the Deputy Prime Ministers job in 1998
before being jailed on sexual perversion charges. Building on opposition gains
in the March elections, Anwar has declared his intention to unseat the BN by
September.
Najib called the private investigators statement a desperate move by Anwar
Ibrahim to divert attention from the sodomy allegation he is facing.
For some, the episode reveals rot inside the political system. They are all
damaged, it doesnt matter, really, said a disgusted lawyer and political
insider in Kuala Lumpur. I think new leaders will emerge after this mess.
In the new declaration, a sworn statement made in writing as was his first
declaration, Balasubramaniam said: "I wish to retract the entire contents of my
statutory declaration dated July 1, 2008. I was compelled to affirm the said
statutory declaration under duress.
"I wish to expressly state that at no material time did (Abdul) Razak (Abdullah)
Baginda inform me that he was introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by a VIP and at
no material time did Razak Baginda inform me that Datuk Seri Najib (Tun Razak)
had a sexual relationship with Altantuya Shaaribu and that she was susceptible
to anal intercourse. At no material time did Razak Baginda inform me that Datuk
Seri Najib instructed Razak Baginda to look after Altantuya Shaaribu as he did
not want her to harass him since he was the Deputy Prime Minister."
Balasubramaniams previous statement was extraordinarily detailed, accusing the
deputy prime minister of having had an affair with Altantuya and introducing her
to Razak; he also recounted SMS conversations between Razak and Najib on the
night of her murder. The statement described the cars that came to take the
woman away, related conversations with the accused and described his
disappointment at the fact that a detailed statement he had given police about
the matter had been censored so completely that nothing of the relationship
between Razak and Najib survived.
Razak went on trial in June 2007 for Altantuyas murder along with two of
Najibs bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar
of the elite Unit Tindak Khas or Special Police Action Unit. The 28-year-old
Mongolian woman was shot twice in the head on October 19, 2006 and her body
dumped in a patch of jungle near the suburban city of Shah Alam before she was
blown up with explosives.
Balasubramaniam wrote in his first declaration that he wanted the relevant
authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that
any fresh evidence may be presented to the Court prior to submissions at the end
of the prosecutions case.
In that declaration Balasubramaniam, who was hired to help Razak deal with the
woman, said he repeatedly tried to get Razak to have Altantuya arrested for
harassment, but that he refused to do so.
The July 1 statement described in meticulous detail a series of visits by
Altantuya and two friends from Mongolia to Razaks office and home, seeking to
corner the political analyst about their relationship and demanding US$500,000
for her services as a translator in a questionable transaction involving
Malaysias purchase of French submarines.
The document also purported to confirm long-reported rumors that Najib, Razak
and Altantuya had been at a dinner in Paris during the time when the submarine
transaction was being negotiated. It described conversations with Altantuya, in
which she told the private investigator that Razak had even bought her a house
in Mongolia.
Related Story: More Twists in Murder Plot
See: Balasubramaniam's Statutory Declarations
Comments (1)
Show/Hide comments
Political Scholar : LeeHamChak
In BolehLand, anything is possible and can happen. To the outside world, it is
very confusing and strange but internally, people just accept it as part of
their life.
Maybe, Bala got a few too many DRINKS before or AFTER the
SD. Who knows? LingamSos once said "after one Drinks I talk and write nonsense"
Koret,Koret,Koret.
July 4, 2008
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Asia Sentinel - Hong Kong,SAR,China
The allegations against Najib have already undermined his standing as the
heir apparent to the leadership of the powerful United Malays National ...
<http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1306&Itemid=31>
A Malaysian Private Eye Recants an Explosive Statement
Tag it:Our Correspondent
04 July 2008
Complete reversal on charges against Malaysia's deputy prime minister raises
questions of political pressure
Related Story: More Twists in Murder Plot
See: Balasubramaniam's Statutory Declarations
In a stunning turnaround that raises as many questions as it answers, the Kuala
Lumpur-based private investigator who set off a firestorm Thursday by alleging
that Deputy prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was involved in the 2006 murder of
Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu today retracted the entire contents of
his statutory declaration and said he had made it under duress (Note: Both
declarations can be found here).
Media in Kuala Lumpur reported that P. Balasubramaniam, a private investigator
who once represented accused murderer Abdul Razak Baginda, said everything he
had alleged in his July 1 statutory declaration was wrong, then rushed off
without taking questions. Local media also reported that he had come under
severe pressure after releasing the declaration in the company of opposition
leader Anwar Ibrahim Thursday.
The investigator did not say who pressured him to issue the initial statement,
but his action today raises the inevitable specter that powerful political
forces are at work over the sensational murder. The allegations against Najib
have already undermined his standing as the heir apparent to the leadership of
the powerful United Malays National Organization. Opposition leaders denounced
the retraction as the result of political pressure and called for an
investigation.
The ongoing trial has thus far avoided questioning Najib or bringing his name
into the proceedings, with both prosecutors and defense attorneys challenging
attempts to have him brought into the proceedings.
Anwar, who himself faces recent allegations of forcibly sodomizing a 23-year-old
man who works in his office, was excoriated by pro-government loyalists from the
ruling Barisan Nasional coalition led by the UMNO after he released the initial
declaration. Najib and Anwar are bitter rivals for power who were once allied in
UMNO before Anwar was booted out of the Deputy Prime Ministers job in 1998
before being jailed on sexual perversion charges. Building on opposition gains
in the March elections, Anwar has declared his intention to unseat the BN by
September.
Najib called the private investigators statement a desperate move by Anwar
Ibrahim to divert attention from the sodomy allegation he is facing.
For some, the episode reveals rot inside the political system. They are all
damaged, it doesnt matter, really, said a disgusted lawyer and political
insider in Kuala Lumpur. I think new leaders will emerge after this mess.
In the new declaration, a sworn statement made in writing as was his first
declaration, Balasubramaniam said: "I wish to retract the entire contents of my
statutory declaration dated July 1, 2008. I was compelled to affirm the said
statutory declaration under duress.
"I wish to expressly state that at no material time did (Abdul) Razak (Abdullah)
Baginda inform me that he was introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by a VIP and at
no material time did Razak Baginda inform me that Datuk Seri Najib (Tun Razak)
had a sexual relationship with Altantuya Shaaribu and that she was susceptible
to anal intercourse. At no material time did Razak Baginda inform me that Datuk
Seri Najib instructed Razak Baginda to look after Altantuya Shaaribu as he did
not want her to harass him since he was the Deputy Prime Minister."
Balasubramaniams previous statement was extraordinarily detailed, accusing the
deputy prime minister of having had an affair with Altantuya and introducing her
to Razak; he also recounted SMS conversations between Razak and Najib on the
night of her murder. The statement described the cars that came to take the
woman away, related conversations with the accused and described his
disappointment at the fact that a detailed statement he had given police about
the matter had been censored so completely that nothing of the relationship
between Razak and Najib survived.
Razak went on trial in June 2007 for Altantuyas murder along with two of
Najibs bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar
of the elite Unit Tindak Khas or Special Police Action Unit. The 28-year-old
Mongolian woman was shot twice in the head on October 19, 2006 and her body
dumped in a patch of jungle near the suburban city of Shah Alam before she was
blown up with explosives.
Balasubramaniam wrote in his first declaration that he wanted the relevant
authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that
any fresh evidence may be presented to the Court prior to submissions at the end
of the prosecutions case.
In that declaration Balasubramaniam, who was hired to help Razak deal with the
woman, said he repeatedly tried to get Razak to have Altantuya arrested for
harassment, but that he refused to do so.
The July 1 statement described in meticulous detail a series of visits by
Altantuya and two friends from Mongolia to Razaks office and home, seeking to
corner the political analyst about their relationship and demanding US$500,000
for her services as a translator in a questionable transaction involving
Malaysias purchase of French submarines.
The document also purported to confirm long-reported rumors that Najib, Razak
and Altantuya had been at a dinner in Paris during the time when the submarine
transaction was being negotiated. It described conversations with Altantuya, in
which she told the private investigator that Razak had even bought her a house
in Mongolia.
Related Story: More Twists in Murder Plot
See: Balasubramaniam's Statutory Declarations
Comments (1)
Show/Hide comments
Political Scholar : LeeHamChak
In BolehLand, anything is possible and can happen. To the outside world, it is
very confusing and strange but internally, people just accept it as part of
their life.
Maybe, Bala got a few too many DRINKS before or AFTER the
SD. Who knows? LingamSos once said "after one Drinks I talk and write nonsense"
Koret,Koret,Koret.
July 4, 2008
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