Pict Linking Najib To Altantuya Missing

TEN months after his explosive investigative piece on the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaaribuu, Bangkok-based French journalist Arnaud Dubus (picture) gave Free Malaysia Today's Sara Celestine an update on the scandal which has dragged down the good name of Najib Razak.

In the 45-minute interview, Dubus, who wrote the article for French newspaper Liberation, admitted that the trail connecting the Prime Minister to Altantuya had gone cold. The 46-year-old journalist of 20 years believed the only evidence – a photograph – linking Najib to the dead Mongolian beauty would never be found. Here are excerpts from the interview.

It has been 10 months since you wrote the article. How come there has been no follow-up story from you?



There's no follow up to my article because I could not find any new element to the story.

In Malaysia, there are allegations – especially from pro-Najib bloggers – that you were paid by pro-Anwar Ibrahim people to write the story.

I've read that there was a conspiracy initiated by me, Anwar and the Rothschild family (which owns Liberation). It was really kind of funny. But seriously, there is no such conspiracy.

I heard about (Altantuya's murder) when I was in Malaysia at the end of 2008 to write an article on affirmative action in Malaysia and Malaysian politics. And I thought it was a great story for a French newspaper because it had all the elements of a good article – French weapon company, corruption, politics, sex, Mongolian lady and murder.

After checking I found that no French journalists did any (intensive) investigation of it. Most of the stories were second hand, from news agencies. And I thought I should investigate the story extensively by going to Mongolia, Malaysia and France. I discussed with my newspaper and it agreed.

At that point, I contacted Anwar's people and I told them that I was interested in writing that story. They sort of did not encourage me to work on it. They told me they've been trying to find something but they could not find anything and thought that I would not find anything.

So I work on the story for three months, going to Mongolia and meeting Altantuya's family and friends and people in Malaysia. In the course of this investigation I was given this police report by somebody who I don't want to mention the name. Not somebody involved in politics.

And this report (written by one of the Altantuya's convicted murderers, Sirul Omar, a Special Branch officer) was actually introduced in the court but it was never published (by the media). And I thought this was an element which would make my story more interesting.

There's talk on the Internet that you have been quiet since the article appeared because you have been paid by the anti-Anwar people?

No, they have a lot of imagination. What can I say?

However, I was a bit surprised by the stir my story created. I was not expecting the story to have a big impact in Malaysia.

From your investigation, is there any evidence that Najib is linked to Altantuya's murder?

I'm not sure what you call evidence, but I think that everybody notices the elements that are linking Najib to Altantuya.

First is this photograph, which has been described by Shaaribuu Setev, the father of Altantuya. He has seen the photograph of Najib, Abdul Razak Baginda and Altantuya in Paris as his daughter showed it to him.

And Altantuya's best friend, Amy, also saw the photograph. And she can remember quite well when Altantuya explained who was who in the picture. Amy asked Altantuya who was this guy (in the photograph) and Altantuya said "he was the prime minister." Actually around that time Najib was Deputy Prime Minister, but (clearly Altantuya was referring) to Najib.

This photograph was given to Mongolia's Honorary Consul in Malaysia, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi, who gave it to the Malaysian police and then it sort of vanished.

Altantuya also gave documents to the Honorary Consul who gave them to the police and these documents also vanished.

The second element is the statutory declaration of P. Balasubramaniam (a private investigator hired by Abdul Razak to deal with Altantuya in 2006 when she started 'harassing' him).

But one thing that I have to say is Altantuya has never mentioned to her family and friends that she had an intimate relationship with Najib. Maybe she wanted to hide ... but the fact is she never mentioned any intimate relationship with Najib.

Can the missing photograph be found?

Well, the photograph was given to the Malaysian police; so if we want to check where was the pix somebody has to go to the Malaysian police and the one who can do it is the Honorary Consul as he was the one who gave it to them.

Unfortunately Altantuya's father is a down-to-earth man who trusts people easily. He really trusted this Honorary Consul. And he gave him all the documents without making any copy which I thought was very naive. And everything vanished.

I think the photograph will never be found because it is too incriminating. It is just too sensitive.

Why is this photograph important?

It is important because Najib has always denied that he knew Altantuya. He has sworn on the Quran that he has never met this woman. If the photograph is found, it would contradict him and that would be very embarrassing.

There's a report that you are going to do a movie on Altantuya's murder?

No, no, no. It is not correct. I'm not involved in any movie.

When I went to Mongolia (in February 2009) Altantuya's father mentioned that he has been contacted by several movie companies to make a movie about his daughter. And he said he did not want to give his support yet as he considered that the story was not finished. He can only cooperate with movie makers only after he considers the case closed.

From your investigation of the submarine deal between the Malaysian government and the French company, do you think corruption was involved?

Yes, the fact that a deputy minister in the Malaysian parliament admitted that a commission was given by the French company to Perimekar.

Tell us about your experience investigating the Altantuya murder.

One thing which is a bit shocking, I think, especially from Razak Baginda – because with Najib we don't know how closely he was involved with Altantuya – who was with her for several years. He has not done anything to help her family. From a purely human viewpoint, he should do something to help the family.

I knew Razak Baginda because when I was going to Malaysia he was one of the people I interviewed because he was with the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre. I don't know him well, but I have interviewed him four or five times and I am quite disappointed with his behaviour (of not supporting Altantuya).

Source: FreeMalaysiaToday.Com