Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin leaving the Sentul police station after being questioned by police over his June 18 statutory declaration. Among those accompanying him on Saturday was Batu MP Tian Chua (left).
KUALA LUMPUR: Raja Petra Kamarudin, the editor of news portal Malaysia Today, was quizzed by the police Saturday over his statutory declaration on June 18 claiming he had knowledge that three other persons were present when the body of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu was blown up on Oct 19, 2006.
He was summoned to the Sentul police station at 5pm Saturday and was allowed to leave at about 7.45pm.
His lawyer William Leong, who is also the Selayang MP, accompanied him to the station. Also present was his wife Marina Lee Abdullah, Pandamaran state assemblyman Ronnie Liew and Batu MP Tian Chua who arrived at about 7.30pm.
Earlier, Liew created a commotion when he had a disagreement with Sentul OCPD Asst Comm Ahmad Sofian Md Yassin who did not allow him to go into the room where Raja Petra was being questioned.
More than 100 people waited outside and inside the police station compound and cheered when Raja Petra walked out.
Some of them were wearing yellow T-shirts with the words ''Justice For All...tantuya'' and the photograph of Raja Petra printed on the front.
Raja Petra told reporters later that he was questioned under Section 112 of the Criminal Procedure Code as a witness in relation to the police report that was made against him by the Attorney-General's Chambers.
''On June 20, the A-G's Chambers had lodged a police report against me in relation to a crime under Section 203 of the Penal Code which is for making a false declaration.
"However, the entire interrogation or statement that was taken was more in relation to who my informer is and whether I gave permission to (Internet news portal) Malaysiakini to publish the statutory declaration.
"They also wanted to know about the blog site called bigdog.com,'' he said.
Raja Petra claimed that the police officers told him that they were unable to tell him anything when he asked them whether the investigations were about his statutory declaration, Malaysiakini or the bigdog.com blog.
"Everything today was in relation to who I had given the statutory declaration to. Whether I gave permission for these people (Malaysiakini) to publish the statutory declaration and whether I could reveal who my informer is,'' he said.
Raja Petra claimed that when he told the police that for the safety of his informer he was unable to reveal who the person was, he was instead told that there were other police reports made against him and that the police might want to charge him in court.
"I told them that I will accept that and I am prepared and ready to be charged in court and that my informer will surface during the trial and reveal the truth,'' he said, adding that the police did not mention what charges would be brought against him.
Raja Petra, who was charged with sedition for implicating Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in the murder of Altantuya, made the statutory declaration on June 18 claiming to have knowledge that three other persons were present when the body of Altantuya was blown up on Oct 19, 2006.
On June 22, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the allegations were “highly defamatory” and if found untrue, those making the allegations would have to face the consequences.
KULDEEP S. JESSY
Star Online
05/07/08
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