Disappearance of P. Balasubramaniam: Najib: We’re not responsible - NST

By : Ridzwan Abdullah and R. Sittamparam

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday denied charges that the authorities were behind the "disappearance" of private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his family.

The deputy prime minister shrugged off the claims as baseless.

He was speaking to reporters at the launch of Ibrahim Pahlawan Melayu (Ibrahim, the Malay Warrior), a memoir narrating the life and experiences of former armed forces chief Gen (Rtd) Tun Ibrahim Ismail.

Najib, who is also defence minister, was asked on an ultimatum made by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) for the government to "release" Balasubramaniam.

Hindraf coordinator S. Jayathas, at a candlelight vigil held in Brickfields on Tuesday night, said Hindraf would organise a massive rally in three days' time if Balasubramaniam and his family were not released by then.

Responding to this, Najib replied: "Then I guess you have to ask them (Hindraf)."

Balasubramaniam made headlines last week with a statutory declaration linking Najib with the murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, but retracted it the next day.

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