Altantuya Murder Case- 26/6/07

Altantuya Continued To Visit Bala Despite Threat, Court Told

SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- Altantuya Shaariibuu's friend, Uuriintuya Gal Ochir told the High Court here that the part-time model continued to meet Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda's private investigator, P. Balasubramaniam and his assistant, K. Suras Kumar although the two men had threatened and harassed her.
Uuriintuya, 30, said Altantuya did so because she had to see Abdul Razak even if it was only for a moment.
She disclosed this to the court during cross-examination by defence counsel Wong Kian Kheong who is representing Abdul Razak in the hearing into the murder of Altantuya.
Wong: "You testified that Suras came to your room five times. (Do you) agree that Suras came to the room after the threats were made on 11 Oct?
Uuriintuya: "Yes."
Wong: "(Do you) agree that on the five occasions Suras came to the room, you could have refused to allow him to enter?"
Uuriintuya: "No."
Wong: "Did you call the hotel management when Suras banged loudly on the door?"
Uuriintuya: "Only on the last (fifth) occasion and for the first four times Altantuya told the hotel people don't let the motorbike guy to come. But these are people of different shifts. The (staff from the) other shifts let him in."
Ealier Uuriintuya, a housewife, testified that she had never seen Abdul Razak in Mongolia and she did not know whether the political analyst had married Altantuya in October 2006.
Uuriintuya said although she did not know about the marriage, she had never asked Altantuya about it.
She also refuted Wong's allegation during the cross-examination that she had conspired and discussed with Namiraa Gerelmaa, 23, on what transpired in 2006 before testifying in court.
Wong: "Did Namiraa tell you about what happened to her in court?"
Uuriintuya: "No. She only told me that she raised her hand."
Earlier when cross-examined by Wong, Uuriintuya told the court that she was in her fourth month of pregnancy when she followed Altantuya to this country.

Record Of Altantuya And Friends' Entry To M'sia Deleted - Uuriintuya

SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- The murder trial of Altantuya Shaariibuu was told Tuesday that the record of the Mongolian model and two other Mongolian women entering Malaysia was deleted from the immigration computer system.
Altantuya's friend, Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir, 30, testified at the High Court here that she faced problems at the KL International Airport on Nov 24 last year when exiting out of the country to return to Mongolia as there was no record of them entering Malaysia.
"There was no record of us (Altantuya, Namiraa Gerelmaa and Uuriintuya) entering Malaysia. They (the immigration officers) asked me how did I come to Malaysia, by sea or by car. So I showed my air ticket because it stated the day I entered Malaysia," she said.
She said she was stranded at the airport for two hours and police officers told her that she had entered Malaysia illegally. However, she said, she and Altantuya's father, Setev Shaariibuu, were then allowed to return to Mongolia.
Uuriintuya, who testified in Mongolian language and translated to English by Mongolian interpreter, Enkhjargal Tsetsgee, had earlier told the court that she did not go back to Mongolia on Oct 26 last year, the same day as Namiraa, as she did not have her passport with her.
"I didn't go back (on Oct 26 last year) because I have no passport. My passport was kept by Altantuya in her bag and she (Altantuya) disappeared," she said, adding that she only returned to Mongolia on Nov 24 with Shaariibuu.
Uuriintuya's evidence triggered murmurs in the courtroom following a question from Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin on which day did she and Altantuya's cousin Namiraa left Malaysia for Mongolia.
Mohd Zaki poised the question to Uuriintuya after DPP Manoj Kurup finished his re-examination on the fourth prosecution witness (Uuriintuya).
Karpal Singh, who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya's family and the Mongolian government, then told the court that her evidence on the issue was important and he wondered whether the entry of the three people have been obliterated from the record.
Counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, the counsel for Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, the second accused in the Altantuya murder trial, then stood up and told the court that he wanted to cross-examine Uuriintuya on the evidence as that part of the evidence did not arise from the examination-in-chief by Manoj.
Kamarul Hisham said the witness went beyond to answer the question posed by Mohd Zaki and was also not the answer to the court's question but the judge told Kamarul Hisham that he could make a submission on the evidence and that he (the judge) had recorded the said evidence.
DPP Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah asked the court to expunge Uuriintuya's evidence on that issue as it was irrelevant to the current case as her reply was not part of the question posed by the court.
At this juncture, Kamarul Hisham stood up again and supported Tun Abdul Majid to expunge the evidence. However, Mohd Zaki ruled that Kamarul Hisham did not have to cross-examine Uuriintuya on that issue and also rejected their application to expunge the evidence.
However, another scene caused a stir in the court when Uuriintuya did not want to leave the witness dock although she had been released as a witness.
Instead she raised her hand saying that she wanted to say something to the court. However, her request was stopped by Mohd Zaki who told her to step down from the dock.
Uuriintuya did not leave the witness dock but insisted that she wanted to make a statement. To this, Mohd Zaki then asked her why and Uuriintuya said there was no record of their entry to Malaysia via Beijing as well.
"It has been deleted. I wonder why our record entering Malaysia has been deleted?" she asked.
At this juncture, Mohd Zaki told her "you have been finally allowed to leave Malaysia. Why are you complaining."
Manoj then stood up and told the court that Uuriintuya was no longer the prosecution witness and that the court was not the proper forum for statements adding that Uuriintuya could address her complain through other forum.
Earlier, replying to a question from Manoj during re-examination, Uuriintuya said when she received threats from Balasubramaniam and Suras Kumar, she felt scared and wanted to go back to Mongolia.
"Manoj: When you told this to Altantuya, what did Altantuya tell you?
Uuriintuya: Altantuya told if you two (Uuriintuya and Namiraa) go back (to Mongolia), she would stay behind.
Manoj: When did you have this discussion?
Uuriintuya: It was before Oct 19 but I can't remember the exact date.
Manoj: Why didn't you go back (to Mongolia)?
Uuriintuya: Because we were worried something bad would happen to her (Altantuya) since Suras Kumar and Balasubramaniam were always following them.
On another question by Manoj on why did the three of them (Altantuya, Namiraa and Uuriintuya) allowed Suras Kumar to enter their hotel room since he was threatening them, Uuriintuya said "every time Altantuya opened the door".
Manoj: You know why Altantuya does that? Why she let him in?
Uuriintuya: I don't know why. They always talk to each other.
Manoj: When Altantuya let Suras Kumar in a few times, did you not ask Altantuya why she let him in?
Uuriintuya: Yes, I did ask her.
Manoj: What was her response?
Uurintuya: Altantuya said she believe Suras Kumar is Abdul Razak's bodyguard. I can see Abdul Razak through Suras Kumar.
To another question by Manoj on why she didn't leave her hotel room on the night Suras Kumar came to sleep for five hours, Uuriintuya said: "By right he (Suras Kumar) has to leave (the room). It is our room but he didn't leave."
Manoj: You also did not call anyone for help like hotel security when Suras Kumar was sleeping in your room?
Uuriintuya: All three of us didn't call the security for help. If we leave, I was afraid something would happen. So we three try to sleep together. So three of us didn't want to separate.
Manoj: So the three of you were standing for five hours in the room?
Uuriintuya: There were two chairs and one table in the room. So we took turns to sit and stand. I was sitting as I was pregnant at that time but we didn't sleep.
Manoj: You left the room after Suras Kumar left?
Uuriintuya: After some time Suras Kumar left, we went out and told the (hotel) manager.
To another question on why she did not lodge a police report about the harassment and threats by Suras Kumar, Uuriintuya said: "because Altantuya told us if we make a police report, Razak Baginda is a big shot, so he knows a lot of police officers. So it is no point lodging a police report."
However, she told the court that they (the three of them) had no choice but to finally make a police report on Oct 19 as "it was too much to bear."

Altantuya Paid US$600 To Investigate Her Husband - Private Eye

SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- A private investigator told the High Court here Tuesday that Altantuya Shaariibuu hired him for US$600 to investigate political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda whom the Mongolian woman claimed was her husband.
Ang Chong Beng, 56, said Altantuya, whom he knew by the name Amina, had asked him to find Abdul Razak's house and see whether her husband was in Malaysia or abroad.
He also identified Altantuya or Amina when Deputy Public Prosecutor Manoj Kurup showed him her photograph.
Ang, who was the fifth prosecution witness in the trial for Altantuya's murder, said that in September 2006, Altantuya contacted him by phone and asked him to meet her at Hotel Malaya in Kuala Lumpur.
Manoj: "What's the purpose of Amina seeing you?"
Ang: "She asked me to investigate her husband."
Manoj: "Investigate what?"
Ang: "Investigate whether her husband was in Malaysia or overseas."
Manoj: "Did Amina tell you her husband's name?"
Ang: "She did. Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda."
Ang, who gave evidence in Mandarin and was translated into Bahasa Malaysia by a translator, said he then agreed to assist Altantuya find the information required by the woman.
When asked whether payments were made for his services, Ang replied: "She said she would give money when she arrived in Mongolia. On Oct 1, she said she deposited money into my bank, a total of US$600."
Ang told the court that after the meeting at Hotel Malaya in September 2006, he met Altantuya again at the same place on Oct 9, 2006, and this time, Altantuya was accompanied by two other Mongolian women.
He then identified the two women as Uuriintuya Gal Ochir and Namiraa Gerelmaa.
Manoj: "The meeting on the ninth at Hotel Malaya, did Amina ask you to take her anywhere?"
Ang: "Amina asked me to take her to Abdul Razak's office in Jalan Ampang."
Manoj: "Did you do it?"
Ang: "I did. Besides Amina, two other Mongolian women who were with Amina and my assistant followed me."
The witness then told the court that he sent the three of them in his assistant's car to Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli (LGM) and left them there.
Manoj: "On that day after taking the three women to Bangunan LGM, how long were they there?
Ang: "We waited quite long from 9.30am to about 4.30pm."
Manoj: "Waited where?"
Ang: "Waited by the roadside in front of Bangunan LGM."
Manoj: "How did you know they waited for seven hours?"
Ang: "My assistant told me. He kept contacting me."
Ang said Altantuya and her friends had asked him to send them to the building several times after the first time.
Manoj: "Did you see the Mongolian woman entering the building?"
Ang: "I did, once. I did not follow. I waited in the car. I saw her (Amina) taking a note to a guard to be given to Abdul Razak."
Manoj: "Did you see the content of the note?"
Ang: "No."
Manoj then asked whether he saw two Indian men when he took Altantuya and her friends to the building. Ang replied: "At the time I saw only one Indian man, his name was Bala.
Manoj: "Other than investigating whether Razak Baginda was in Malaysia or not, did Amina ask you to find other information?
Ang: "No. She only told me to investigate where was Razak Baginda's house."
Ang said that on Oct 12, 2006, he managed to find Abdul Razak's house address at Jalan Setiajaya, Bukit Damansara and Altantuya had asked him to take her there several times, however, to his knowledge, Altantuya failed to meet Abdul Razak.
Manoj: "On Oct 17, did you take Amina to Razak Baginda's house?"
Ang: "I did once. At 11pm something."
Manoj: "What's the purpose of Amina going to Razak Baginda's house that late?"
Ang: "Amina was very angry because Razak Baginda didn't want to see her."
Manoj: "Besides Amina, were there other people who followed you?"
Ang: "Only me and Amina."
Manoj: "When arrived at Razak Baginda's house on Oct 17 October, what happened?"
Ang: "I let Amina got out of the car. I stopped far from the place and observed her. Not long after that a police car took Amina to the Brickfields police station."
Ang told the court that before Altantuya was taken by police, Bala (P. Balasubramaniam) was already there since the beginning and then saw Bala and Altantuya talking, however, he did not hear their conversation because he was far from their place.
Manoj: "How long did they talk before a police car arrived?"
Ang: "More or less 10 minutes."
Ang said he could not identify the police personnel who came in a patrol car because the surrounding was dark.
He then said than after Altantuya was taken away in the patrol car to the station, he saw Balasubramaniam and another Indian man boarding a taxi to go to the Brickfields police station.
Manoj: "How did you know Amina was taken to the Brickfields police station?"
Ang: "I followed the patrol car from behind and also went to the Brickfields police station."
In his evidence, Ang said he was stopped by Balasubramaniam who was at the entrance of the police station with Suras (K. Suras Kumar), from entering the station.
"Bala said Razak Baginda was a higher-up man. He did not want Razak's name published in newspapers if anything happens. Bala told me to ask Amina out of the police station and settle it, to tell Amina not to make police report. I said that's good. Everything can end," he said.
Ang said after that that he met and discussed with Altantuya and asked her out of the police station to meet Balasubramaniam and Suras.
In the meeting, Altantuya said she would not make a police report and asked US$500,000 to be given to her by Abdul Razak.
Manoj: "When Amina said this to Bala, where were you?"
Ang: "Beside Amina."
Manoj: "Did Bala say anything?"
Ang: "He did. He said he would speak to Razak Baginda."
Manoj: "Try remember, besides the US$500,000 money, did Amina ask anything else?"
Ang: "I did not know."
The hearing before Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin resumes tomorrow.


Altantuya Hired Me To Check On Abdul Razak - Private Investigator

SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu engaged a private investigator to check on political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda whom she claimed was her husband, the Shah Alam High Court heard Tuesday.
Ang Chong Beng, 56, said Altantuya, whom he knew as "Aminah", had asked him to check where Abdul Razak was and whether her husband was in the country or had gone overseas.
"I received the order from Aminah in September last year when I met her at Hotel Malaya," said the fifth prosecution witness on the seventh day of the high-profile murder trial.
Replying to DPP Manoj Kurup, Ang said he agreed to help Altantuya for US$600 (RM2,100) which she had credited into his account.
Ang admitted sending Altantuya and two other Mongolian women to Abdul Razak's office at Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli in Ampang several times.
Abdul Razak, 46, is charged with abetting Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Sirul Azhar, 35, both from the police special action squad, of murdering Altantuya, 28, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year at Lots 12843 and 16735 in Mukim Bukit Raja, Shah Alam.
The political analyst is accused of abetting them.

Abdul Razak Gave Diamond-studded Gold Ring To Altantuya - Uuriintuya

SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir, a friend of murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, said political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda presented Altantuya a diamond-studded gold ring as a gift.
Uuriintuya, 30, said she believed the ring was given by Abdul Razak because Altantuya herself told her that it was a gift from her boyfriend.
Besides the ring, she also identified a pair of earrings, which was bought in Mongolia, and a Larmes-brand watch bought in Hong Kong as Altantuya's.
Uuriintuya was giving evidence when questioned by lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya's family and the Mongolian government, in the Altantuya murder trial at the Shah Alam High Court here.
The high-profile murder trial entered the seventh day today.
In the dock is Abdul Razak, 46, who is charged with abetting Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Sirul Azhar, 35, both from the police special action squad, of murdering Altantuya, 28, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year at Lots 12843 and 16735 in Mukim Bukit Raja, Shah Alam.
The political analyst is accused of abetting them in the murder.
Uuriintuya denied that she demanded money from Abdul Razak.
"I also don't know whether Altantuya and her private investigator Ang Chong Beng demanded money from the political analyst," she said.
Cross-examined by Wong Kian Kheong, she disagreed to a suggestion by the Abdul Razak's counsel that she had run out of money after a week in Malaysia.
Uuriintuya, who accompanied Altantuya to Malaysia on Oct 8 last year, admitted that despite being harassed and threatened by Abdul Razak's two private investigators and having lodged a police report on their disturbances, she, Altantuya and Altantuya's cousin, Namiraa Gerelmaa, still went to Abdul Razak's house on Oct 19.
She also said that she had never met Abdul Razak before Altantuya went missing after going to the political analyst's house on the night of Oct 19.

We Did Not Come To KL To Extort Money - Uuriintuya

SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir, a friend of the murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, denied in the High Court here Tuesday that she, Altantuya and Altantuya's cousin, Namiraa Gerelmaa, came to Malaysia to extort money from political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda.
Uuriintuya, 30, also rejected a suggestion from Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, the counsel for Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, the second accused in the Altantuya murder trial, that private investigator Ang Chong Beng was hired by Altantuya to help achieve their plan.
The fourth prosecution witness, who continued her testimony today, also refuted another suggestion from Kamarul Hisham that she knew that private investigator P. Balasubramaniam and his assistant, K. Suras Kumar, were engaged by Abdul Razak to protect him from them.
Kamarul Hisham made the three suggestions when cross-examining Uuriintuya on why she did not ask Altantuya, 28, anything about Abdul Razak and the harassment from Balasubramaniam and Suras Kumar during their stay in Malaysia in October last year.
Abdul Razak, 46, is charged with abetting Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Sirul Azhar, 35, both from the police special action squad, of murdering Altantuya between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year at Lots 12843 and 16735 in Mukim Bukit Raja, Shah Alam.
The political analyst is accused of committing the offence between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19 last year at his office in Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli in Ampang.
Earlier, Uuriintuya was asked to identify Altantuya's pair of earrings and a white diamond-studded gold ring.
Uuriintuya said she saw Altantuya wearing the jewellery and a watch before she went missing after going to Abdul Razak's house on the night of Oct 19.