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Friday June 29, 4:25 PM

"Najib Razak" photographed with Mongolian victim, court told


Photo: AFP
SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AFP) - A Malaysian government official identified as "Najib Razak" was photographed with a Mongolian woman and her lover who is now on trial in connection with her murder, a witness testified Friday.

The testimony electrified the courtroom and sparked angry exchanges between the prosecution and a lawyer for the family of the dead woman, who alleged in court that an aide to Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak had directed that the victim be taken away before her death.

Najib Razak is close to Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, a political analyst charged with abetting the murder in October last year of Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28.

The deputy prime minister has vehemently denied any involvement in the case, which is seen by observers as a test of Malaysia's judicial and political integrity.

"It's got nothing to do with me at all," Najib said in April. "I am not involved at all with Altantuya. Allah is my witness."

Burmaa Oyunchimeg, 26, the victim's cousin, testified she had seen a picture of Altantuya having a meal with Abdul Razak and a "Malaysian government official" as well as others.

Burmaa did not identify the official as the deputy prime minister but said Altantuya told her his name was "Najib Razak".

After saying she had "seen the picture", prosecutor Manoj Kurup cut her off.

Karpal Singh, a lawyer monitoring the trial for the victim's family, asked permission to question Burmaa on the matter, sparking objections from the prosecution and a lawyer for one of the accused policemen.

"I have no record of this," Judge Mohammed Zaki Mohammed Yasin said, referring to Burmaa's comment about the picture.

The prosecution also said they had no record, prompting Karpal to fire back: "Don't hide things in this court!"

"I am not hiding things. Shut up for the moment," replied lead prosecutor Tun Majid Tun Hamzah.

Karpal turned to the judge and said, "He is out here to conceal this."

Judge Zaki then allowed Karpal to question Burmaa about the picture which, the lawyer said, Altantuya showed her in Hong Kong after she returned from France.

"There was a picture, a picture of Altantuya having a meal in a round table with Razak Baginda and a Malaysian government official and other people," Burmaa said.

Asked to identify the government official, she named him as Najib Razak.

"I remember the name Razak is the same as Razak Baginda so I thought maybe they were brothers," Burmaa said. "I asked her, 'Are they brothers?'"

As a police lawyer and the prosecutor raised new objections to Karpal's questioning, the judge asked him to explain its relevance.

"The relevancy is this. We must not hide anything. It was the ADC (aide-de-camp) officer of the deputy prime minister who had directed his personnel to go in front of Razak's house to take the deceased away. That is the purpose."

Tun Majid accused Karpal of turning the proceedings into a "political forum". He said the attorney-general had promised that everything would be presented at the trial.

"Why can't you just have faith in the system?" Tun Majid asked.

A lawyer for one of the accused policemen accused Karpal of "coaching" the witness Burmaa.

She also testified that as of August, 2005, Altantuya and Abdul Razak still had a relationship.

"I know the relationship was still there. They were travelling to Europe, France and Italy together," Burmaa said.

Prosecutors say Abdul Razak planned Altantuya's killing and ordered two police officers -- members of a special unit charged with protecting the country's leaders -- to carry it out.

All three face the death penalty if found guilty.

Prosecutors say Altantuya was killed by "probable blast-related" injuries in a clearing in Shah Alam district, southwest of Kuala Lumpur, after she was driven away from outside Abdul Razak's house in mid-October.

 


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