MORE PICS & Video – Day 3–Altantuya Murder Trial – Azilah Drove her away; Razak’s Investigator Grilled on Assignments & Replies Inconsistencies

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MORE PICS & Video – Day 4-Altantuya Murder Trial; She Came Twice -2006 to see a Baginda; had an affair; Abdul Razak - No Instructions to kill or harm her

ABOVE: Daughter Rowenna and wife Mazlinna trying to get a glimpse of Razak Baginda passsing by

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'Razak said he didn't know what happened'

S. Tamarai Chelvi and R. Surenthira Kumar, from SUN
DAY 3;

SHAH ALAM (June 20, 2007): Abdul Razak Baginda told his private investigator he did not know what happened after Altantuya Shaariibuu was taken away from the front of his house in a car on Oct 19, the High Court heard today. P. Balasubramaniam, 47, said he and Razak were in contact through SMS and phone calls between Oct 26 and Nov 7, 2006, as he had called Abdul Razak to ask about the case. When Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah asked what was discussed between them, Balasubramaniam said: "I asked him what actually happened and Razak said he himself did not know what happened." (On Tuesday, Balasubramaniam told the court his service for Abdul Razak ended on Oct 20, 2006 but Razak had asked him to continue after that.)

In response to Tun Abdul Majid's question on why the two had continued to contact each other even after Balasubramaniam's service had ended, Balasubramaniam said: "When I found out that Altantuya had been murdered, I called Abdul Razak about it. "Abdul Razak also contacted me through the handphone because he had received a threat from Altantuya's sister Amy through SMS." Balasubramaniam said Abdul Razak had forwarded the SMS threat to him. He also said he told Abdul Razak he had been called to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters to attend an identification parade on Nov 1, 2006 and that he was told that Altantuya had been murdered. Tun Abdul Majid: What was Abdul Razak's response? Balasubramaniam: He told me he will contact a senior police officer. To a question by Tun Abdul Majib whether he had contacted Abdul Razak between Oct 26 and 31 before Balasubramaniam found out when attending the identification parade on Nov 1 that Altantuya was murdered, he said: "Yes"

Tun Abdul Majid: Why?
Balasubramaniam: Because Amy was disturbing Razak many times through phone calls and SMS, and that was the reason Razak contacted me.
Asked whether he had met Amy before, Balasubramaniam said no.
Earlier, when the trial resumed in the morning, Balasubramaniam identified Chief Insp Azilah Hadri as the person who was driving the red Proton Wira. (The court was told on Tuesday a man who claimed to be a policeman had taken Altantuya away from Razak's house in a red Proton Wira, which he drove.) He also said he had identified Azilah as the driver during the identification parade.

Before the lunch break, it was announced the case would be adjourned at 4pm because Abdul Razak's lawyer K.K. Wong had a meeting in the afternoon and Azirul's lawyer Hazman Ahmad had to send his wife, who gave birth to a stillborn last Wednesday, to hospital for further medical attention.
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PI grilled over services for Razak

SHAH ALAM (June 20, 2007): Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam (above) was grilled by a defence lawyer over his services for political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda. Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, who represents Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, asked Balasubramaniam why he was unsure about the nature of his services. "So it is not true, your statement that just before the second meeting with the third accused (Abdul Razak), you said you did not know at the time whether your services were required?" said Kamarul Hisham. "I don't understand your question," Balasubramaniam replied in English. He had been giving his testimony in Tamil since he took the stand on Monday (June 18).

Earlier, when the afternoon session convened, Kamarul Hisham had told Balasubramaniam it was odd that he, after having served the police for 19 years, including three-and-a-half years with the Special Branch and the Field Force, could not speak in Malay. "I cannot converse fluently in Malay," Balasubramaniam had replied through the interpreter. After Balasubramaniam said he did not understand the question, Kamarul Hisham refreshed his memory and said Balasubramaniam was asked to discuss with Abdul Razak's family lawyer, Dhiren Rene Norendra, about his fee. Balasubramaniam admitted he had told the lawyer he charged RM800 a day or RM7,000 for a 20-day package deal. Kamarul Hisham then asked Balasubramaniam again if he knew what he was hired for, but Balasubramaniam did not answer the question directly.

"You are not answering the question. I asked you whether the third accused (Abdul Razak) told you about the work you were supposed to do?" Kamarul Hisham said.

"I do not know what the job was about after my meeting with the lawyer," Balasubramaniam replied. However, grilled further, he relented and said: "Razak told me about my job." (On Monday, Balasubramaniam had told the court Abdul Razak had instructed him to prevent a Mongolian woman from meeting him, and to follow his daughter to and from her school in Damansara.) Kamarul Hisham also asked Balasubramaniam about his visit to Abdul Razak's office in Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli. Balasubramaniam said Abdul Razak had told him to go to the office because three Mongolian women and a man were there.
Balasubramaniam said the four had already left the office on the 10th floor and were on the ground floor by the time he arrived. Asked why he called the police, as the four did not committed any crime, Balasubramaniam said he feared they would cause "disturbance" later and return to the office. Earlier, when the trial resumed in the afternoon, Balasubramaniam was asked to reaffirm that he and Abdul Razak exchanged SMSes and phone calls before and after Altantuya Shaariibuu's disappearance. He had admitted to this while replying to questions from Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah.
Balasubramaniam, when unable to answer properly the DPP's questions, was told to focus on the time Altantuya was taken away in car by two men and a women. "I cannot remember all (the details of the SMSes and calls), but can remember the message I sent about the taxi fare," he replied. Kamarul Hisham then requested for an adjournment to continue the cross-examination tomorrow.
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Journalists on list of witnesses

SHAH ALAM (June 20, 2007): About 14 journalists are on the list of witnesses in the Altantuya murder trial. It is learnt that the journalists, including from the Sun, are among the list of 134 names who may be called to give evidence. The majority of the witnesses, according to sources, are senior and junior police personnel. They include the officer mentioned in Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda's affidavit, DSP Musa Mohd Safri, the aide-de-camp to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

ABOVE & BELOW: the shy but scare Altantuya's cousins

The honorary consul for Mongolia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi, Altantuya's cousins Uurintuya Gal Ochir Uurintuya and Burmaa Oyunchimeg, friend Namiraa Gerelma and Altantuya's parents Shaariibuu Setev and Altentsetseg Sanjaa are also on the list, as are Abdul Razak's office staff, wife, daughter and parents. The others are believed to be pathologists, a chemist, medical officers, forensic experts and other civilians. However, it is yet to be known if the prosecution will summon all those named on the list.

What happened today, Day 3 Trial
> Abdul Razak Baginda's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam continued his testimony for the third day.
> Shortly after lunch, the defence started its cross-examination of the prosecution's witness.
> Hearing adjourned earlier than expected at 4pm, as two defence lawyers had matters to attend to.

SHAH ALAM (June 20, 2007): Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda sobbed in the dock while hugging his daughter Rowena, during a 40-minute break in the trial. They were seen whispering to each other, and when Abdul Razak was seen trying to hold back tears, his wife Mazlinda Makhzan reminded him to control his emotions. Abdul Razak's mother, Datin Rohana Abdullah, also told her son: "Sabar ya, sabar" (be patient). She also hugged him. Abdul Razak's family has been a source of solace for him since the trial began on Monday (June 18). Before the trial started today, for instance, Mazlinda was seen applying some cologne and face cream on her husband. Murder accused Chief Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar had also been getting family support. But they only have short conversations with them.
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Azilah was driver of car that rook Altantuya: Witness

ABOVE & BELOW: The well protected and covered up faces of Chief Inspector Azilah and Cpl Sirul

SHAH ALAM (June 20, 2007): Chief Insp Azilah Hadri was identified in the High Court here today as the driver of the red Proton Wira car that took Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu away from the house of political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda last Oct 19. Pointing to Azilah in the dock as the driver, Abdul Razak's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam said he also saw another woman seated in the back of the car with Altantuya. (Yesterday Balasubramaniam, the first prosecution witness, told the court that he saw Altantuya being detained and taken away by three police personnel on the night the Mongolian was killed.)

ABOVE: Azilah, 30, and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35 (BELOW)

Azilah, 30, and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, of the Bukit Aman Special Action Unit, are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, in a location between lots 12843 and 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20.
Abdul Razak, 46, is charged with abetting them in the Federal Territory between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19, Bernama reports. Balasundram, 47, said he called Abdul Razak to inform him as Altantuya was being taken away.
He said the following day he met Abdul Razak in the latter's office in Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli on Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, between 2pm and 3pm.
He said although his service as Abdul Razak's private investigator ended on Oct 26, Abdul Razak still kept in touch with him and had forwarded him an SMS containing a threat from Altantuya's sister, Amy.
Between Oct 26 and Nov 7, he had contacted Abdul Razak several times to enquire about Altantuya's murder and what had really happened but Abdul Razak said he himself did not know, he added. Balasubramaniam said he learnt about the murder when he was called to make an identification in the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Nov 1. He called Abdul Razak to inform him and the latter said he would contact senior police officers. The hearing continues in the afternoon.
Azilah was driver of car that rook Altantuya: Witness; SUN

SHAH ALAM (June 20, 2007): Chief Insp Azilah Hadri was identified in the High Court here today as the driver of the red Proton Wira car that took Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu away from the house of political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda last Oct 19. Pointing to Azilah in the dock as the driver, Abdul Razak's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam said he also saw another woman seated in the back of the car with Altantuya. (Yesterday Balasubramaniam, the first prosecution witness, told the court that he saw Altantuya being detained and taken away by three police personnel on the night the Mongolian was killed.)
Azilah, 30, and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, of the Bukit Aman Special Action Unit, are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, in a location between lots 12843 and 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20. Abdul Razak, 46, is charged with abetting them in the Federal Territory between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19, Bernama reports. Balasundram, 47, said he called Abdul Razak to inform him as Altantuya was being taken away. He said the following day he met Abdul Razak in the latter's office in Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli on Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, between 2pm and 3pm. He said although his service as Abdul Razak's private investigator ended on Oct 26, Abdul Razak still kept in touch with him and had forwarded him an SMS containing a threat from Altantuya's sister, Amy.
Between Oct 26 and Nov 7, he had contacted Abdul Razak several times to enquire about Altantuya's murder and what had really happened but Abdul Razak said he himself did not know, he added. Balasubramaniam said he learnt about the murder when he was called to make an identification in the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Nov 1. He called Abdul Razak to inform him and the latter said he would contact senior police officers.
During cross-examination by Azilah's counsel, Hazman Ahmad, in the afternoon, Balasubramaniam said he was remanded twice several days after he was called for an identification parade on Nov 1. ÒOn the first occasion I was told by police that I was remanded for 'harassing' but on the second occasion no reason was given except that it was under section (of the Penal Code which relates to murder)," he said. He was also cross-examined by Kamarul Hisham Kamarudin, counsel for Sirul Azhar, on why he had called the police on the day that the three Mongolian women were said to have turned up at Abdul Razak's office on Oct 9. Kamarul Hisham:
You said you saw them (Mongolian women) standing outside and looking at the third accused's (Abdul Razak) office but they were not doing anything threatening. Why then did you call the police? Balasubramaniam: Because they had gone to the 10th floor of the building and left a letter in the third accused's office, the office that I was asked to keep an eye on. If I don't call the police, they may go up and cause a commotion in the office. That's my reason. The hearing continues tomorrow.

= == = == =Watch the Video Clip (within a Clip) 1 min 52 S (speeded up 8%) (4.67 MB Medium Quality Wmv file) on the Day 3 Trial

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