Nobody: The unanswered questions about Musa Safri

The unanswered questions about Musa Safri
13 June, 2008

Even though Chief Inspector Azilah Hadridan and Abdul Razak Baginda never knew each other until Musa Safri introduced them, and they would have never known each other if not because of Musa Safri, Musa Safri is not one of those on trial for murder.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

On 4 January 2007, Abdul Razak Bin Abdullah a.k.a. Abdul Razak Baginda filed an Affidavit. This Affidavit was to support his bail application. Razak had in fact earlier been granted bail, somehow, although bail is not allowed in cases that carry the death penalty. How come Razak was initially granted bail when the law does not allow him bail is probably a mystery that will go to the grave of the person or persons who granted him bail.

Malaysians can only hope that Razak was initially granted bail not because of the special relationship that he has with Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister or else this will imply that Malaysia practices two sets of laws -- one for those who walk in the corridors of power and another for the rest of us. And who in their right mind would want to imply such a thing when those who walk in the corridors of power do not tolerate criticism. I, for one, would never dare imply anything that will expose me to further sedition charges when I have not even settled the first one yet.

Anyway, Razak’s bail was subsequently withdrawn, as it should have been, and he tried to get his bail reinstated through this Affidavit of 4 January 2007. Any first-year law student would tell you that this Affidavit was a mother of a mistake. Fortunately I am not a first-year law student so I will not be saying the same thing because if I did say that then they will probably find something with which to charge me with.

Any first-year law student will also tell you that the 24-page Affidavit is mostly crap, at least 80% of the contents. Not being a first-year law student myself I am of course not in a position to say that the 24-page Affidavit is mostly crap, at least 80% of the contents. Anyhow, I have reproduced ten pages of this Affidavit, which you can view below, so that you can get an insight into some of the gist of what Razak had to argue in his failed bid to get his bail reinstated.

On page 12, item 25 of the Affidavit (labelled ‘Razak2’ in the addendums below), Razak admits that he sought help from DSP Musa bin Haji Safri whom he befriended when he was running the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre. What Razak does not know (and we assume he does not know because the Affidavit does not mention this fact) is that Musa Safri works for Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

On page 14, item 32 of the Affidavit (labelled ‘Razak4’ in the addendums below), Razak admits that Musa Safri phoned him to inform him that a police officer will be contacting him to offer help with regards to his problem with Altantuya. In item 33 on the same page, Razak admits that, on 18 October 2006, ‘AH’ (Chief Inspector Azilah Hadridan) phoned him and introduced himself as the police officer that Musa Safri mentioned as the person who will help solve the Altantuya problem.

Razak subsequently met Azilah in his (Razak’s) office and on page 15, item 34(b) of the Affidavit (labelled ‘Razak5’ in the addendums below) Razak admits that Azilah boasted he had already killed between 6-10 people before the Altantuya murder (which the court ordered expunged). Razak further admits that he responded by saying he did not wish anything unwanted (tidak diingini) to happen to Altantuya and he expected that Azilah, being a police officer he did not know until introduced to him through Musa Safri, would not do anything unwanted or against the law.

On page 17, item 36 of the Affidavit (labelled ‘Razak7’ in the addendums below), Razak admits that Azilah went to his (Razak’s) house to pick up Altantuya and then Azilah tells Razak, “tonight you can sleep soundly” (which the court also ordered expunged). Razak further admits that he repeated at least twice to not do anything unwanted to Altantuya.

On page 18, item 38 of the Affidavit (labelled ‘Razak8’ in the addendums below), Razak admits that, on 20 October 2006, he went to the Deputy Prime Minister’s office and bumped into Musa Safri [Razak appears unaware of the fact that he managed to bump into Musa Safri in the Deputy Prime Minister’s office because Musa Safri works for the Deputy Prime Minister (since this fact is not mentioned in the Affidavit)]. Anyway, Razak then admits that he asked Musa Safri what happened to Altantuya and Musa Safri replied that Azilah has not said anything. Razak also admits that he asked Musa Safri a few more times over the next few days and still Musa Safri replied that Azilah did not say anything.

From Razak’s admission in the 24-page Affidavit filed on 4 January 2007, it is clear that:

1. Razak did not know Azilah and had never met him before the Altantuya murder.
2. Razak did not know that Musa Safri worked for the Deputy Prime Minister.
3. Musa Safri introduced Azilah to Razak.
4. Razak would have never met Azilah if not for Musa Safri.
5. Azilah felt he could help solve Razak’s problem because he had already killed 6-10 people before the Altantuya murder.
6. Razak’s Affidavit never mentioned whether Musa Safri knew that Azilah had already killed 6-10 people before the Altantuya murder and whether that was why Musa Safri introduced Azilah to Razak (so we must assume that Musa Safri did not know and that this was not the reason he introduced Azilah to Razak).
7. Razak did not want anything unwanted to happen to Altantuya.
8. Razak kept asking Musa Safri what happened to Altantuya but Musa Safri kept replying that Azilah had not informed him what happened (giving an impression that Razak was not able to ask Azilah himself and that the only person who was able to ask Azilah is Musa Safri).
9. If Azilah did murder Altantuya -- which we do not know yet since the trial is not over -- then it was not on Razak’s instructions and either Azilah used his own discretion or someone else other than Razak had instructed Azilah to murder Altantuya.
10. Even though Azilah and Razak never knew each other until Musa Safri introduced them, and they would have never known each other if not because of Musa Safri, Musa Safri is not one of those on trial for murder.