Detective retracts statements against Malaysian Deputy PM

Singapore, Jul 4 (UNI) A detective, in the ongoing political saga involving Malaysia's top politicians, today retracted all statements that had allegedly linked Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to the murder of a Mongolian beauty.

Private investigator P Balasubramaniam reversed his stand and a statutory declaration he had made on July 1 which reportedly linked Mr Najib, the country's second senior most political leader, to a Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, who was murdered two years ago.

''I wish to retract the entire contents of my statutory declaration dated July 1, 2008. I was compelled to affirm the said declaration under duress,'' he said in his new declaration.

Speaking to mediapersons in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Balasubramaniam, an ethnic Indian, said the statements contained in his previous statutory declaration was inaccurate and not the truth.

''I wish to state that at no material time did Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of the Malaysian Deputy PM inform me that he was introduced to Ms Shaaribu by a VIP and at no material time did Mr Razak Baginda inform me that Mr Najib had a sexual relationship with Ms Shaaribu and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse,'' he said.

''At no material time did Mr Razak Baginda inform me that Mr Najib instructed him to look after Ms Altantuya Shaaribu as he did not want her to harass him since he was the Deputy Prime Minister.

Ms Razak Baginda is on trial for the murder of Ms Altantuya.

The Deputy Premier has also denied any links to the late Mongolian beauty.

This has partially cooled the tempo in Kuala Lumpur where the de facto opposition leader and former deputy Prime Minster Anwar Ibrahim is challenging to prove Mr Najib being linked to a network which eliminated Ms Altantuya, who was reportedly harassing the deputy premier after the alleged affair ended.

Mr Anwar, now head of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat and challenging to form the next government by winning over the ruling party's sitting members of parliament, is facing another sodomy charge, an offence he was tried and jailed 10 years ago but has been cleared by the Malaysian court.

Political observers see the smearing campaign in Kuala Lumpur by Mr Anwar and Mr Najib camps.

Mr Anwar is taking a head on clash after the ruling Malay leaders from the United Malays National Organisation, supported his aide in filing a police report recently.

The aide reported to police he was sodomised and sexually harassed by Mr Anwar who is ambitiously pressing on to dislodge the current government which is functioning with less than two-third majority after the March 8 general elections, said the observers.

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