Cops want Bala’s statement

(The Star) – Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam who suddenly disappeared last year may be a free man but he is still being sought by the police as a witness in a case, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

Musa said that although Bala­subramaniam was not a wanted fugitive, he was needed for a statement to be recorded in relation to his two contradictory statutory declarations on the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaarii­buu.

He added that this was the reason the Immigration Department had not been given any instruction to stop Balasubramaniam’s movements in and out of the country.

“He should know that he is wanted in assisting us in a case and take the initiative to come in personally and have his statement recorded,” he said.

Musa was responding to questions regarding Balasubra­maniam’s alleged entry back into the country about eight times since he disappeared on July 3 last year.

Various blogs and online news portals have recently been carrying excerpts of his interviews in which, among others, he alleged that he had been offered money to retract his first statutory declaration.

“As far as the police is concerned, we are not aware of him having entered the country. You should ask the reporter who made that claim,” said Musa.

The private investigator, his wife and three children – aged between six and 11 – have been “missing”.

Balasubramaniam had been hired by then accused Abdul Razak Baginda to monitor Altantuya’s whereabouts in Kuala Lumpur,

Razak, a political analyst, was acquitted of the charge of abetment in the murder after spending 22 months in prison.

In November last year, then Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar had said Balasubra­maniam was a free man and it was up to him if he wanted to come back.