Written by
Maria Begum, Malaysia Chronicle
It
looks like he noose is closing in on Malaysian Prime Minister Najib
Razak, who has long been suspected of involvement in the sensational
Altantuya Shaariibuu murder..
At the annual general meeting of the Malaysian Bar in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, lawyers were told that prominent colleague Cecil Abraham had admitted to acting on Najib's instructions to prepare a second statutory declaration (SD2) for the purpose of overturning a first (SD1), which had been prepared by another lawyer.
To Najib's critics, it is poetic justice that Abraham's confession was revealed on the very day that the signatory to the document was cremated. P Balasubramaniam, the private investigator who had been enticed into signing the Abraham-prepared document, had died just a day ago of a massive heart attack.
In 2008, Bala had stunned the country when he made public SD1, in which he had linked Najib to the Altantuya murder. That document had been prepared by his lawyer Americk Sidhu.
Within 24 hours, as Bala later revealed, he was given a large sum of money to sign Abraham's SD2 and then made to flee to Chennai, where he had lived in exile with his family until last month.
"Cecil met me and admitted to drafting the second SD without Bala's instructions. The instructions came from Najib," Malaysiakini reported Americk as telling members of the Malaysian Bar at their closed door meeting.
This is murder, don't hide behind silence
Bala's
role in the Altantuya saga began when he was hired by Najib's close
aide Razak Baginda. His job was protect Baginda and daughter Rowena
from Altantuya who had been blackmailing Baginda before she was killed.
In an immediate response, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo called on Najib to come clean on the matter.
"Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should respond to the allegation by lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu that the second SD of the late PI Bala was prepared on his instructions," Gobind said in a statement.
"The Bar Council should also tell us why there has been a delay in the probe into this complaint. The Bar Council is obviously unusually slow in its probe of this matter.
Other Opposition lawmakers joined the call to the PM, who has made matters worse for himself and his party with his refusal to respond.
Americk and Abraham are senior lawyers, well known in the industry, and it would only bolster the public perception that Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor were somehow tied in to the murder of the 28-year-old Mongolian national.
"Najib has sworn on the Quran in a mosque that he and Rosmah have never known Altantuya. But now everything is being revealed in the Malaysian Bar AGM," MP for Bukit Gantang Nizar Jamaluddin said on Twitter."
To dissolve Parliament on Monday?
Altantuya
was killed by two of Najib's former bodyguards in 2006 after she
pestered Baginda for what she had told Bala was a US$500,000 commission
for the Malaysian government's purchase of submarines.
At that time Najib was both Deputy Prime Minister as well as Defense Minister and it was he who gave the green light for the navy's procurement of 2 Scorpene submarines.
Altantuya is believed to have acted as translator for Baginda, who had helped negotiate in the deal with French arms maker DCNS. Baginda was initially charged for abetting in her murder but was controversially acquitted while the two bodyguards were sentenced to hang.
The two men have appealed and their case is due to be heard in June, which Najib's critics have pointed out would be safely past the date of the country's 13th general election. The government-controlled press have hinted that Najib would dissolve Parliament on March 25, with voting day sometime in April.
However, there are now red-hot rumors that Najib will dissolve Parliament on Monday, March 18.
The main reasons cited for the change in plan are his mishandling of an intrusion by armed Sulu gunmen onto Malaysian shores, his exacerbation of the ensuing fallout by trying to pin the blame on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Batu MP Tian Chua, plus the renewed focus on the statutory declarations following Bala's sudden death.
Did not want the truth to get buried
Americk,
who had broken the news of Bala's demise to the press on Friday, said
that in revealing to the Bar what had been told to him, he was breaking a
promise to Abraham not to tell anyone.
However, Americk said he did so because he did not want to let the trail to the truth behind the Altantuya murder get buried with Bala's death.
"I informed the AGM after much torment of a sleepless night," said Americk, who had been visibly been shaken by Bala's death, describing the 53-year-old investigator as one of the "best Malaysians". [P.I. Bala's death: All eyes now swing to SD1 detailing the Najib-Altantuya link]
“I told Bala before he died that Cecil had confessed to it and he was quite happy about it. I told him to let nature takes its course. He agreed with me and I have to continue with this for Balasubramaniam."
According to Americk, he met Abraham at a restaurant near his office two weeks ago. The meeting was arranged by another lawyer. Americk does not plan to complain about Abraham to the Bar. The act of drafting a second SD to nullify the first is illegal under Malaysian laws.
"Cecil admitted to me that he was the one who drafted the second SD and that he was under Najib's instructions to do so. Cecil apologised to me for it and I accepted his apology," repeated Americk.
Sirul's statement and who ordered the killing?
On
Thursday, Americk had detailed out how he and Bala came to draft the
SD1 amid accusations from Umno-linked blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin that
Bala did so because he had been offered money by Opposition Leader
Anwar Ibrahim. [ NOT BULLSHIT, RPK: Don't try to distract attention from who ordered Altantuya's MURDER!]
Americk denied any money was taken from anyone for SD1, which he confirmed Bala had wanted to effect to point out the
discrepancies
in the government's investigation of the case. He also accused Raja
Petra of trying to confuse the issue so as to deflect attention from the
key question in the murder case that till now remains unanswered - who
had ordered the killing?
Today, Americk reiterated this point. According to him, it had been clear to them that all along the two bodyguards Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were acting under orders.
"If you look at Sirul's 112 cautioned statements, he categorically had said that they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to get rid of this woman. The question here is who ordered it. Why the chain of command was not brought up in court. We have Musa Safri (Najib's former aide de camp), their superior officer, but he was never introduced as a witness.
Bala was among those who last saw Altantuya alive. In fact, it was he who confirmed her identity to one of her killers, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri.
"After talking to Aminah (Altantuya) for about 15 minutes, a red Proton aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be Lance Corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plain clothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car," Bala wrote in item 29 of his SD1.
"Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said ‘Yes’. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton Saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us." (item 30 in SD1)
"Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah." (item 31 in SD1)
Of mortality and guilt: A vindication for Bala
Bala's
body was returned to his family late on Friday night after an autopsy
that confirmed cause of death was due to a heart attack. Last rites were
performed for him this afternoon.
The 53-year-old had returned to Malaysia last month amid a hero's welcome for his brave decision to come out and reveal all to the public. However, heart disease does not know how to discriminate and he was forced to interrupt a tell-all tour of the country to seek treatment for 3 clogged arteries a couple of weeks ago.
"Malaysia lost a brave man in the person of P.I. Balasubramaniam. However, those who believe that now the truth will never be known are wrong. Bala has made much information known such as the involvement of Nasir Safa, Musa Safri and Nizam Razak. The public knows who these personalities are. One day, the full truth will be know," MP for Subang Sivarasa Rasiah had told Malaysia Chronicle.
Indeed, that day of reckoning for Altantuya and also for Bala, whose reputation has been besmirched by accusations that he was a mercenary who 'sang' for money from the Opposition, may come much earlier anyone had anticipated.
Mortality and guilt are a potent cocktail. Perhaps in the days that come, more of those involved in what is now clear to see was a massive cover-up to shield Najib and his Umno party will step forward and take their place in history by telling the truth.
Not just for Altantuya, Bala, or the nation but most of all, for themselves and their children.
All eyes on SD1 and SD2: The Najib link
Meanwhile,
all eyes are on the SD1 drafted by Americk and SD2 drafted by Abraham.
Bala was after all among those who last saw Altantuya alive. In fact,
it was he who confirmed her identity to one of her killers, Chief
Inspector Azilah Hadri.
In SD1 (scroll below), Bala had detailed Najib's connection to Altantuya in item 25 as told to him by Baginda. Many parts were corroborated by Altantuya when she spoke to him just hours before she was killed, in item 28:
In items 49, 50, 51, 52, Bala again mentioned Najib.
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
> He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
> Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
> Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.
> Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
> Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.
28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :
> That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
>That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.
>That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a submarine deal in Paris.
>That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.
>That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.
>That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.
>That if I wouldn’t allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
STATUTORY DECLARATION (Bala's first SD or SD1 drafted by Americk Sidhu)
I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal (NRIC NO: xxxxxx-xx-6235) a Malaysian Citizen of full age and residing at xxxxx, Selangor do solemly and sincerely declare as follows :-
1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having jointed as a constable in 1981 attached to the Police Field Force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance Corporal and finally resigned from the Police Force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.
2. I have been working as a free lance Private Investigator since I left the Police Force.
3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang between the hours of 8am to 5pm each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.
4. I resigned from this job after 2 ½ days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.
5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaaribuu.
6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaaribuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia very soon to try and contact him.
7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaaribuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian ‘bomoh’ and that he could never look her in the face because of this.
8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.
9. I advised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high profile people involved.
10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaaribuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.
11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.
12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.
13. On the 09.10.2006 I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30 am informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya note paper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.
14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as ‘Aminah’ and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.
15. These 3 Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12.00 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminah’s boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.
16. On the 11.10.2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note which basically asked him to call her urgently.
17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda that perhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.
18. In the meantime I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these 3 Mongolian girls, but they recognized him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.
19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.
20. On the 14.10.2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting “Razak, bastard, come out from the house”. I tried to calm her down but couldn’t so I called the police who arrived in 2 patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.
21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.
22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminah’s own Private Investigator, one Mr. Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for USD$500,000.00 and 3 tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.
23. As Aminah had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.
24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him “Aminah was here”. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me “To delay her until my man comes”.
28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :-
30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said ‘Yes’. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.
31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.
32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.
33. After the 19.10.2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7 pm to 8 am the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called ‘Amy’ who was apparently ‘Aminah’s’ cousin in Mongolia.
34. On the night of the 20.10.2006, both of Aminah’s girl friends turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.
35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr. Ang and another Mongolian girl called ‘Amy’ turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.
36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi Police Station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.
37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling handphone and I was to pass the phone to the Inspector from Dang Wangi Police Station.
38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi Inspector. The conversation lasted 3 – 4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.
39. On or about the 24.10.2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields police station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.
40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminah’s disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.
41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the Criminal division, Brickfields police station, and that Idris had referred him to ASP Tonny.
42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields police station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand ASP Tonny a thumb drive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.
43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.
44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on the 26.10.2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.
45. In mid November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminah’s case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under S.506 of the Penal Code for Criminal intimidation.
46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for 5 days. On the third day I was released on police bail.
47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under S.302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for 7 days.
48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on the 19.10.2006 which read “delay her until my man arrives”. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Baginda’s handphone.
49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 am to 6 pm. everyday for 7 consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but when I came to sign my statement, these details had been left out.
50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminah’s relationship with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and/or his wife.
51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 am Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.
52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 am, Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- “ I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today …… matter will be solved … be cool”.
53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.
54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to :-
STATUTORY DECLARATION (Bala's second SD or SD2 alleged to have been drafted by Cecil Abraham)
I, Balasubramaniam Perumal, do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:
I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having joined as a constable in 1981. I was subsequently promoted to the rank of lance corporal and finally resigned from the Royal Malaysian Police Force in 1998.
1. I currently work as a freelance private investigator.
2. I wish to refer to the statutory declaration I affirmed on July 1, 2008. I refer specifically to paragraphs 8, 25, 28, 49 and 50 to 52, wherein I have stated inter-alia that:
And I make this solemn declaration voluntarily and conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1960.
Malaysia Chronicle
At the annual general meeting of the Malaysian Bar in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, lawyers were told that prominent colleague Cecil Abraham had admitted to acting on Najib's instructions to prepare a second statutory declaration (SD2) for the purpose of overturning a first (SD1), which had been prepared by another lawyer.
To Najib's critics, it is poetic justice that Abraham's confession was revealed on the very day that the signatory to the document was cremated. P Balasubramaniam, the private investigator who had been enticed into signing the Abraham-prepared document, had died just a day ago of a massive heart attack.
In 2008, Bala had stunned the country when he made public SD1, in which he had linked Najib to the Altantuya murder. That document had been prepared by his lawyer Americk Sidhu.
Within 24 hours, as Bala later revealed, he was given a large sum of money to sign Abraham's SD2 and then made to flee to Chennai, where he had lived in exile with his family until last month.
"Cecil met me and admitted to drafting the second SD without Bala's instructions. The instructions came from Najib," Malaysiakini reported Americk as telling members of the Malaysian Bar at their closed door meeting.
This is murder, don't hide behind silence
Bala's
role in the Altantuya saga began when he was hired by Najib's close
aide Razak Baginda. His job was protect Baginda and daughter Rowena
from Altantuya who had been blackmailing Baginda before she was killed.In an immediate response, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo called on Najib to come clean on the matter.
"Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should respond to the allegation by lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu that the second SD of the late PI Bala was prepared on his instructions," Gobind said in a statement.
"The Bar Council should also tell us why there has been a delay in the probe into this complaint. The Bar Council is obviously unusually slow in its probe of this matter.
Other Opposition lawmakers joined the call to the PM, who has made matters worse for himself and his party with his refusal to respond.
Americk and Abraham are senior lawyers, well known in the industry, and it would only bolster the public perception that Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor were somehow tied in to the murder of the 28-year-old Mongolian national.
"Najib has sworn on the Quran in a mosque that he and Rosmah have never known Altantuya. But now everything is being revealed in the Malaysian Bar AGM," MP for Bukit Gantang Nizar Jamaluddin said on Twitter."
To dissolve Parliament on Monday?
Altantuya
was killed by two of Najib's former bodyguards in 2006 after she
pestered Baginda for what she had told Bala was a US$500,000 commission
for the Malaysian government's purchase of submarines.At that time Najib was both Deputy Prime Minister as well as Defense Minister and it was he who gave the green light for the navy's procurement of 2 Scorpene submarines.
Altantuya is believed to have acted as translator for Baginda, who had helped negotiate in the deal with French arms maker DCNS. Baginda was initially charged for abetting in her murder but was controversially acquitted while the two bodyguards were sentenced to hang.
The two men have appealed and their case is due to be heard in June, which Najib's critics have pointed out would be safely past the date of the country's 13th general election. The government-controlled press have hinted that Najib would dissolve Parliament on March 25, with voting day sometime in April.
However, there are now red-hot rumors that Najib will dissolve Parliament on Monday, March 18.
The main reasons cited for the change in plan are his mishandling of an intrusion by armed Sulu gunmen onto Malaysian shores, his exacerbation of the ensuing fallout by trying to pin the blame on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and Batu MP Tian Chua, plus the renewed focus on the statutory declarations following Bala's sudden death.
Did not want the truth to get buried
Americk,
who had broken the news of Bala's demise to the press on Friday, said
that in revealing to the Bar what had been told to him, he was breaking a
promise to Abraham not to tell anyone.However, Americk said he did so because he did not want to let the trail to the truth behind the Altantuya murder get buried with Bala's death.
"I informed the AGM after much torment of a sleepless night," said Americk, who had been visibly been shaken by Bala's death, describing the 53-year-old investigator as one of the "best Malaysians". [P.I. Bala's death: All eyes now swing to SD1 detailing the Najib-Altantuya link]
“I told Bala before he died that Cecil had confessed to it and he was quite happy about it. I told him to let nature takes its course. He agreed with me and I have to continue with this for Balasubramaniam."
According to Americk, he met Abraham at a restaurant near his office two weeks ago. The meeting was arranged by another lawyer. Americk does not plan to complain about Abraham to the Bar. The act of drafting a second SD to nullify the first is illegal under Malaysian laws.
"Cecil admitted to me that he was the one who drafted the second SD and that he was under Najib's instructions to do so. Cecil apologised to me for it and I accepted his apology," repeated Americk.
Sirul's statement and who ordered the killing?
Americk denied any money was taken from anyone for SD1, which he confirmed Bala had wanted to effect to point out the
discrepancies
in the government's investigation of the case. He also accused Raja
Petra of trying to confuse the issue so as to deflect attention from the
key question in the murder case that till now remains unanswered - who
had ordered the killing?Today, Americk reiterated this point. According to him, it had been clear to them that all along the two bodyguards Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were acting under orders.
"If you look at Sirul's 112 cautioned statements, he categorically had said that they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to get rid of this woman. The question here is who ordered it. Why the chain of command was not brought up in court. We have Musa Safri (Najib's former aide de camp), their superior officer, but he was never introduced as a witness.
Bala was among those who last saw Altantuya alive. In fact, it was he who confirmed her identity to one of her killers, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri.
"After talking to Aminah (Altantuya) for about 15 minutes, a red Proton aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be Lance Corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plain clothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car," Bala wrote in item 29 of his SD1.
"Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said ‘Yes’. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton Saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us." (item 30 in SD1)
"Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah." (item 31 in SD1)
Of mortality and guilt: A vindication for Bala
The 53-year-old had returned to Malaysia last month amid a hero's welcome for his brave decision to come out and reveal all to the public. However, heart disease does not know how to discriminate and he was forced to interrupt a tell-all tour of the country to seek treatment for 3 clogged arteries a couple of weeks ago.
"Malaysia lost a brave man in the person of P.I. Balasubramaniam. However, those who believe that now the truth will never be known are wrong. Bala has made much information known such as the involvement of Nasir Safa, Musa Safri and Nizam Razak. The public knows who these personalities are. One day, the full truth will be know," MP for Subang Sivarasa Rasiah had told Malaysia Chronicle.
Indeed, that day of reckoning for Altantuya and also for Bala, whose reputation has been besmirched by accusations that he was a mercenary who 'sang' for money from the Opposition, may come much earlier anyone had anticipated.
Mortality and guilt are a potent cocktail. Perhaps in the days that come, more of those involved in what is now clear to see was a massive cover-up to shield Najib and his Umno party will step forward and take their place in history by telling the truth.
Not just for Altantuya, Bala, or the nation but most of all, for themselves and their children.
All eyes on SD1 and SD2: The Najib link
In SD1 (scroll below), Bala had detailed Najib's connection to Altantuya in item 25 as told to him by Baginda. Many parts were corroborated by Altantuya when she spoke to him just hours before she was killed, in item 28:
In items 49, 50, 51, 52, Bala again mentioned Najib.
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
> He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
> Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
> Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.
> Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
> Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.
28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :
> That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
>That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.
>That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a submarine deal in Paris.
>That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.
>That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.
>That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.
>That if I wouldn’t allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
STATUTORY DECLARATION (Bala's first SD or SD1 drafted by Americk Sidhu)
I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal (NRIC NO: xxxxxx-xx-6235) a Malaysian Citizen of full age and residing at xxxxx, Selangor do solemly and sincerely declare as follows :-
1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having jointed as a constable in 1981 attached to the Police Field Force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance Corporal and finally resigned from the Police Force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.
2. I have been working as a free lance Private Investigator since I left the Police Force.
3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang between the hours of 8am to 5pm each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.
4. I resigned from this job after 2 ½ days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.
5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaaribuu.
6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaaribuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia very soon to try and contact him.
7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaaribuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian ‘bomoh’ and that he could never look her in the face because of this.
8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.
9. I advised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high profile people involved.
10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaaribuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.
11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.
12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.
13. On the 09.10.2006 I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30 am informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya note paper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.
14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as ‘Aminah’ and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.
15. These 3 Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12.00 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminah’s boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.
16. On the 11.10.2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note which basically asked him to call her urgently.
17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda that perhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.
18. In the meantime I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these 3 Mongolian girls, but they recognized him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.
19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.
20. On the 14.10.2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting “Razak, bastard, come out from the house”. I tried to calm her down but couldn’t so I called the police who arrived in 2 patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.
21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.
22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminah’s own Private Investigator, one Mr. Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for USD$500,000.00 and 3 tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.
23. As Aminah had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.
24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
- He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister.
- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
- Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.
27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him “Aminah was here”. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me “To delay her until my man comes”.
28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :-
- That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
- That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.
- That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a submarine deal in Paris.
- That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.
- That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.
- That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.
- That if I wouldn’t allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said ‘Yes’. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The drivers window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.
31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.
32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.
33. After the 19.10.2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7 pm to 8 am the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called ‘Amy’ who was apparently ‘Aminah’s’ cousin in Mongolia.
34. On the night of the 20.10.2006, both of Aminah’s girl friends turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.
35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr. Ang and another Mongolian girl called ‘Amy’ turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.
36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi Police Station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.
37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling handphone and I was to pass the phone to the Inspector from Dang Wangi Police Station.
38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi Inspector. The conversation lasted 3 – 4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.
39. On or about the 24.10.2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields police station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.
40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminah’s disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.
41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the Criminal division, Brickfields police station, and that Idris had referred him to ASP Tonny.
42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields police station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand ASP Tonny a thumb drive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.
43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.
44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on the 26.10.2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.
45. In mid November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminah’s case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under S.506 of the Penal Code for Criminal intimidation.
46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for 5 days. On the third day I was released on police bail.
47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under S.302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for 7 days.
48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on the 19.10.2006 which read “delay her until my man arrives”. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Baginda’s handphone.
49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 am to 6 pm. everyday for 7 consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but when I came to sign my statement, these details had been left out.
50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminah’s relationship with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and/or his wife.
51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 am Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.
52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 am, Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- “ I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today …… matter will be solved … be cool”.
53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.
54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to :-
- State my disappointment at the standard of investigations conducted by the authorities into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.
- Bring to the notice of the relevant authorities the strong possibility that there are individuals other than the 3 accused who must have played a role in the murder of Altantuya Shaaribuu.
- Persuade 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.
- Emphasize the fact that having been a member of the Royal Malaysian Police Force for 17 years I am absolutely certain no police officer would shoot someone in the head and blow up their body without receiving specific instructions from their superiors first.
- Express my concern that should the defence not be called in the said murder trial, the accused, Azilah and Sirul will not have to swear on oath and testify as to the instructions they received and from whom they were given.
STATUTORY DECLARATION (Bala's second SD or SD2 alleged to have been drafted by Cecil Abraham)
I, Balasubramaniam Perumal, do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:
I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having joined as a constable in 1981. I was subsequently promoted to the rank of lance corporal and finally resigned from the Royal Malaysian Police Force in 1998.
1. I currently work as a freelance private investigator.
2. I wish to refer to the statutory declaration I affirmed on July 1, 2008. I refer specifically to paragraphs 8, 25, 28, 49 and 50 to 52, wherein I have stated inter-alia that:
- Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by a VIP;
- Najib Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Altantuya Shaariibuu and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse;
- Najib Razak instructed Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Altantuya Shaariibuu as he did not want her to harass him since he was the deputy prime minister;
- Najib Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Altantuya Shaariibuu had met and all been together at a dinner in Paris;
- Altantuya Shaariibuu wanted money in the sum of US$500,000 as a commission for a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris;
- Altantuya Shaariibuu met Najib Razak in Singapore;
- Altantuya Shaariibuu wanted me to arrange to see Najib Razak;
- I told the police about the relationship between Najib Razak and Altantuya Shaariibuu but when it came to sign my statement this detail was left out;
- The prosecutor during the course of the trial in the High Court of Shah Alam did not ask me any questions in respect of Altantuya Shaariibuu’s purported relationship with Najib Razak or of a phone call I received from one DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC to Najib Razak and/or his wife;
- Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he had sent Najib Razak an SMS the evening before he was arrested but did not receive a response; and
- Najib Razak sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda on the day of his arrest to the effect that he was going to see the IGP that day and that the matter should be resolved and for Abdul Razak Baginda to remain calm.
- At no material time did Abdul Razak Baginda inform me that he was introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by a VIP;
- At no material time did Razak Baginda inform me that Najib Razak had a sexual relationship with Altantuya Shaariibuu and the she was susceptible to anal intercourse;
- At no material time did Abdul Razak Baginda inform me that Najib Razak instructed Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Altantuya Shaariibuu as he did not want her to harass him since he was the deputy prime minister;
- At no material time did Razak Baginda and/or Altantuya Shaariibuu inform me that Najib Razak, together with Abdul Razak Baginda and Altantuya Shaariibuu had met and all been together at a dinner in Paris;
- At no material time did Altantuya Shaariibuu inform me that she wanted money in the sum of US$500,000 as a commission for a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris;
- At no time whatsoever did Abdul Razak Baginda and/or Altantuya Shaariibuu inform me that Najib Razak met with Altantuya Shaariibuu in Singapore;
- At no time whatsoever did Altantuya Shaariibuu inform me that she wanted me to arrange to see Najib Razak;
- At no time did I tell the police during the course of their investigations about any relationship between Najib Razak and Altantuya Shaariibuu as no such relationship existed to my knowledge. Accordingly, the statement I signed before the police is complete;
- At no time did Abdul Razak Baginda inform me that he had sent Najib Razak an SMS the evening before he was arrested; and
- At no time did Abdul Razak Baginda inform me that Najib Razak had sent him an SMS on the day of his arrest to the effect that he was going to see the IGP that day and that the matter should be resolved and for Abdul Razak Baginda to remain calm.
And I make this solemn declaration voluntarily and conscientiously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declarations Act 1960.
Malaysia Chronicle
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