Police probe shows Altantuya was not in France

(The Star) – A French police investigation revealed that Altantuya Shaariibuu never entered France from 1999 to 2006, an Internet news portal said.

According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), there was no immigration record of an “Altantuya Shaariibuu” entering France in that period.

This was revealed in confidential documents submitted to the French judicial inquiry, which is looking into alleged kickbacks in the Scorpene submarine deal between French manufacturer DCNS and the Malaysian Government.

The documents also revealed that DCNS officials told French police they had never met a person named Altantuya and did not know who she was in the course of their negotiations for the Scorpene deal.

DCNS former sales manager to Malaysia Fredric Faura told French investigators there was no need for an interpreter since negotiations were in English and not in French.

He also alluded that he had not met or known Altantuya, who was reported to have been an interpreter.

FMT also said that Jasbir Singh Chahl, who was reported by Suaram as being the first Malaysian to be subpoenaed as a witness in the Scorpene case, told the French police that he had never met Altantuya and that she was not involved in the submarine negotiations.

Malaysiakini reported that in 2007, Hong Kong-based news portal Asia Sentinel published a series of photographs purportedly showing Altantuya in Paris.

However, it could not be ascertained when they were taken or if they were authentic.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was acquitted on Oct 31, 2008 of abetting two police officers in the murder of Altantuya.

Police officers C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar were sentenced to death by the High Court on April 9, 2009 for murdering her on Oct 19 and Oct 20, 2006.