Altantuya Murder Trial 19/6/07

Altantuya Demanded US$$500,000 From Abdul Razak, Says Witness

SHAH ALAM, June 19 (Bernama) -- Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu demanded USD$500,000 cash and three air tickets to Mongolia from political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda just a few days day before her murder, the High Court here was told Tuesday.
Abdul Razak's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, 47, said the demand was made in a meeting between him, Altantuya and her private investigator, Ang Chong Bend, outside the Brickfields police station between 11pm and midnight on Oct 17 last year.
Altantuya made the demand after Ang persuaded her not to lodge a police report against Abdul Razak.
She was taken to the police station after creating a scene outside the house of Abdul Razak's father by screaming abuses and demanding that Abdul Razak come out and speak to her, Balasubramaniam said on the second day of the trial before Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yasin.
Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, of the police Special Action Unit are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, at a location between lots 12843 and 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.
Abdul Razak, 46, is alleged to have abetted them in the Federal Territory between 9.54am on Oct 18 last year and 9.45pm the following day.
Balasubramaniam said he conveyed the demand to Abdul Razak's family lawyer the same night and Abdul Razak the following day.
Questioned by deputy public prosecutor Raya Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah on his meeting with Abdul Razak at the latter's office in Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang to inform him of the demand, he said: "Abdul Razak said he would discuss it with senior police officers whom he knew and would take action after that."
The hearing continues in the afternoon.