The Malaysian Insider

Click here for P. Balasubramaniam's full statutory declaration

By Debra Chong

PETALING JAYA, July 3 — Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today presented his proof that alleges Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's involvement in the Altantuya Shaariibuu case, and called for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the matter.

Anwar, fighting back a second sodomy charge in a decade, showed a sworn statement by murder accused Abdul Razak Baginda's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam that claimed police suppressed evidence to protect some personalities, including proof that Altantuya knew Najib.

"We are not interested in the personal nature of the relationship, That is entirely his own business and hers," Anwar told a packed news conference at his Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKR) party head office here.

Abdul Razak, a political analyst close to Najib, and two policemen from an elite VIP security unit are charged with conspiracy and the killing of Altantuya, a Mongolian model and translator, in 2006. The trial is still going on.

In his statutory declaration dated July 1, 2008, Balasubramaniam claimed to have been with Abdul Razak when the latter received a text message, allegedly from Najib, which read "I am seeing IGP at 11.00am today ... matter will be solved ... be cool." The detective said Abdul Razak was arrested later in the morning.

Anwar distributed Balasubramaniam's sworn statement, saying the allegations reinforced his belief that Altantuya murder had not been investigated properly and had serious implications for the administration of justice.

"The investigations and proceedings in court seem to follow a pre-arranged script for a pre-arranged outcome," he said, who in one fell swoop has cast aspersions on Najib and the police force particularly Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

Anwar has lodged a report against Musa and Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail for allegedly fabricating evidence in his "black eye" assault by a former police chief and drew a link between his corruption and sodomy case in 1998 and the Altantuya murder.

"Today's revelations further confirm a clear and consistent pattern of manipulation of the criminal justice system that we have witnessed in this country since 1998," he said.

The opposition leader, who was sacked as deputy prime minister and finance minister in September 1998, has alleged that his current sodomy accuser has links with Najib through a political aide. Najib has replied that the accuser came to the office seeking a student loan.

Analysts say Anwar is taking great pains to corner Najib and paint him unfit to be Prime Minister while undermining the police who are investigating him in the sodomy complaint by his estranged personal aide, a 23-year-old university dropout.

Both Najib and Anwar are in a race to occupy Putrajaya with Anwar claiming he can do so by Sept 16 while Najib has a pact with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to transfer leadership at an unspecified date.

Meanwhile, PKR Youth will hand over a memorandum to Abdullah to suspend both Musa and Abdul Gani following Anwar's earlier police report. The Anti Corruption Agency and police have begun investigating that report.