Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Altantuya murder trial: 'Razak did not seek Najib's help'

Altantuya murder trial: 'Razak did not seek Najib's help'
11 June, 2008

(NST) - Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda did not seek help from the deputy prime minister or his wife while he was trying to avoid Altantuya Shaariibuu, a witness testified.

The witness, deputy High Court registrar Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yakub, said this at the High Court yesterday after reading Abdul Razak's bail affidavit.

"Nowhere in the affidavit did it show Abdul Razak seeking assistance from any politician, minister, the wife of a politician or minister," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah.

DPP: What about the DPM or his wife?

Witness: No.

Instead, he said, the document showed Abdul Razak had sought assistance from DSP Musa Safri.

Abdul Razak had filed the affidavit, which showed the relationship he had with the Mongolian woman, at the High Court before another judge on Jan 4, 2006 when applying for bail. His application, however, was rejected.

Yesterday, when cross-examined by counsel Datuk Hazman Ahmad, who is representing accused Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, Wan Mohd Norisham admitted he was just the keeper of the document and had no personal knowledge of the contents.

When asked if he knew how truthful the contents were, the witness said: "No."

Earlier, judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that the affidavit was admissible in court.

However, he agreed with Hazman that two paragraphs in the document were prejudicial and ordered the two paragraphs along with Razak's cautioned statement to be excluded.

The two excluded paragraphs are:

- Azilah boasted he had caused the death of six to 10 people and that he could settle Abdul Razak's problem. Abdul Razak then ticked Azilah off and told him that he did not want anything untoward to happen to the deceased.

Abdul Razak said he thought Azilah, as a police officer, understood what he meant and believed he would not do anything against the law.

- Azilah told Abdul Razak that he was at his (Abdul Razak's) house and told him "Sir, you can sleep soundly tonight". Abdul Razak told Azilah at least three times not to harm the deceased.

The prosecution had applied to tender the affidavit, through Wan Mohd Norisham, saying it was a sworn statement by Abdul Razak to show what transpired between him and Altantuya.

Hazman, however, objected to the admissibility of the document and sought to delete the two paragraphs and Razak's cautioned statement which was attached to the affidavit.

Azilah, 31, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, both Special Action Squad members, are charged with murdering Altantuya at Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor, between 10pm on Oct 19, 2006, and 1am the next day. Abdul Razak, 47, is charged with abetting them.

Hearing continues today.

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