Cops deny involvement in PI's disappearance

Source : Malaysiakini

The police said they were not involved in the disappearance of P Balasubramaniam and vowed to probe the private investigator’s two contradictory statutory declarations.

MCPX

Bukit Aman CID chief Mohd Bakri Zinin said he was piqued by the allegations that the police were behind Balasubramaniam’s disappearance.

“We have no motive in this matter. I am unhappy with assumptions from people that we are involved in this,” he told a press conference in the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters today.

“We will be investigating into the truth in the statutory declarations and we want to finish the investigations as soon as possible. Give us the time and space.”

Balasubramaniam went missing last week after retracting a statutory declaration that alleged Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abduk Razak was linked to murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The former Special Branch officer was reported to have left the country with his wife and three children to an undisclosed location after being threatened.

Bakri today confirmed that a team of police had taken a statement from Balasubramaniam in a “neighbouring country” yesterday.

He explained that the police were able to trace Balasubramaniam’s whereabouts after issuing a red alert to their counterparts who subsequently responded with information.

Life in danger?

However, the police chief repeatedly refused to provide further details on Balasubramaniam or name the country in which the private eye has sought refuge on grounds that the matter was still under investigation.

“They left the country voluntarily without influence (from the police) and the reason given was that he feared his life was in danger.

“He did not give other reasons why he left but he did receive threats. We will let Bala reveal the nature of the threats,” he said.

Asked if Balasubramaniam wishes to return to the country, Bakri said he was not informed of such a request but said protection would be given to him if he applied for it.

“If he applied for it, I can give it, but we have to see if that is necessary. We do not give police protection to all. We cannot give him protection outside our jurisdiction.

Bakri was also quizzed as to whether the Najib will be called in to give his statement as his name was implicated in the first statutory declaration.

“As long as they are involved in what we’re investigating, we will call them. All names involved will be called up as witnesses,” he answered.

Doctors also called up

Reporters also asked Bakri for updates in the police’s investigations into the alleged sodomy committed by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim against his former staff, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

The federal CID chief confirmed that 18 people, including the doctors who checked Saiful, have been called up.

He added there are “a lot of witnesses being called” including politicians before stating that he could not comment any further on the case as investigations are still ongoing.

Two weeks ago, Saiful dropped a bombshell by lodging a police report stating that he was sodomised by Anwar.

Anwar said that this was a fabricated charge and left to seek protection at the Turkish embassy after claiming that his life was in danger.

He has also filed a defamation suit against Saiful and lodged a complaint with the enforcement department of the Syariah Court to clear his name.

The complaint made yesterday, referred to as qazaf in Islamic law, is to request a probe into ‘false allegations’ pertaining to adultery or sexual misconduct.

Also present at the press conference was KL deputy police chief Abu Samah Mat.