Raja Petra quizzed by cops over statutory declaration - The Star

By Kuldeep S. Jessy

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.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/5/nation/20080705224232&sec=nation]

P.Balasubramaniam And Family Reported Missing By Nephew - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, July 5 (Bernama) -- Private investigator P.Balasubramaniam, who was involved in the controversy over the statutory declaration (SD) concerning the murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, has been reported missing since Friday together with his wife and three children.

Balasubramaniam's nephew, R. Kumaresan, 27, accompanied by lawyer N. Surendran, lodged a police report on the disappearance of his uncle and his family at the Brickfields District Police Headquarters, here at 5pm Saturday.

Kumaresan said he failed to contact his uncle after Balasubramaniam held the media conference at a hotel here, Friday morning.

"I tried to contact my uncle almost 10 times but failed. Finally at 6pm yesterday, I decided to go to his house and found that Bala's car was there. However, no one was at home," he told reporters after lodging the police report.

He said he had made the police report because he feared for the safety of Balasubramaniam and his family, especially the safety of his wife and children, two boys and a girl aged between five and 11.

"Previously, this thing (disappearance) had never happened as we always keep in touch because I am very close to them," he said.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=344149]

I Have No Knowledge Of Anything - Najib - Bernama

PEKAN, July 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he knew nothing about the statutory declaration made by private investigator P Balasubramaniam, retracting the earlier declaration which he made under duress and because he was disappointed with the government.

"I have no knowledge of anything," said the Deputy Prime Minister.

He said this when asked to comment on the latest statutory declaration made by Balasubramaniam yesterday which denied all the allegations he had made that linked Najib to the Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

In his statutory declaration Friday, Balasubramaniam admitted that his earlier statutory declaration was inaccurate and untrue.

At a press conference Friday, Balasubramaniam's lawyer, M Arulampalam clarified that his client had made the statutory declaration on July 1 under duress and because he was disappointed with the government.

Asked whether the earlier statutory declaration by the private investigator had affected his image, Najib replied: "I have to face it, what can I do. I have to accept the fact that in Malaysian politics one can resort to dirty tactics, it's even alright to manipulate the law as long as one's objective is achieved."

Najib said he was leaving it to the authorities to take whatever action against the private investigator.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=344144]

Political drama is a plot by Anwar, says Dr M - The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claims that all the high-stake political drama now playing before the eyes of the public is a result of the plotting by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

"I am not seeking sympathy from anyone. But it is a little bit too much to expect me to forget and forgive something that is happening now as a result of Anwar's plotting.

"Anwar has succeeded in blackening my name in the United States and Europe of course, but also in Muslim countries. They all think I simply threw him in prison for political reasons.

"He never said anything about how he was tried, how he was defended by nine lawyers, how the judge wrote a 360-page judgment against him, how his appeals were thrown out twice," Mahathir said in his blog www.chedet.com.

Dr Mahathir added, "He (Anwar) has sued me for RM100mil. He has successfully caused my lawyer to lose credibility. Now I have no lawyer to defend me against his suit. I still have this suit against me."

Anwar, he said, had now turned his attention on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/5/nation/20080705195738&sec=nation]

Lawyer: Second SD was probably made under duress - The Star

By Shahanaaz Habib

KUALA LUMPUR: Americk Singh Sidhu, the lawyer who had prepared the first statutory declaration for private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, is convinced his client was intimidated to retract his declaration.

He believed the private eye had been coerced “by either threats or promises as I can think of no other reason”.

Balasubramaniam's first statutory declaration which he made public on Thursday in a press conference with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim alleged that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had had a sexual relationship with Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Balasubramaniam had said the police had omitted vital information about Najib's relationship with the murdered Mongolian translator.

Speaking at a press conference at the PKR headquarters yesterday, Americk Singh said his client had made the first statutory declaration voluntarily without duress.

He said he had first met Balasubramaniam two months ago at a restaurant where he was asked to help draft a formal document on the Altantuya case.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/5/nation/21748837&sec=nation]