Produce 'new evidence' on Altantuya case, says AG

The Attorney-General (A-G) has not closed the doors on the possibility of reopening the case of slain Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu but urged those with “new evidence” to first produce them.

AG Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail was commenting on the Malaysian Bar’s recent statement which said that there was sufficient new evidence to re-open the controversial case.

“Produce to me the evidence... the police also can re-open the case if there is new evidence. I will look at this evidence,” said Abdul Gani.

However, he stressed that what is being deemed as new evidence must be of value.

“Don't give me just hearsay. I need new tangible evidence that is admissable in court. The rule of criminal law is beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.

On March 30, Bar Council president Christopher Leong said that the recent revelations by businessman Deepak Jaikishan, the late P Balasubramaniam, and Americk Singh Sidhu raised sufficient concern to warrant further investigations by the authorities.

Balasubramaniam or “PI Bala” has accused several top federal government personalities of being involved in Altantuya’s death in his first statutory declaration (SD) in 2008, two years after the brutal killing of Altantuya, then 28 year old.

However, he retracted the SD the following day and signed a new one omitting the names of these personalities.

Balasubramaniam died of a heart attack on March 15, weeks after returning home from self-exile in India.

It was more recently revealed that this overturning of SDs was allegedly arranged by Deepak, a businessman with close government links.

Deepak has admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam to repudiate his first SD, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement.

Balasubramaniam’s lawyer, Americk, has also told the Malaysian Bar and reporters that a fellow lawyer, the prominent Tan Sri Cecil Abraham had admitted to him that he was the one who drew up the private investigator’s second SD.

The Bar Council has said they will file a complaint of professional misconduct against Abraham with the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board (ASDB).