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Malaysian analyst cleared in murder of Mongolian woman

A high-profile political analyst was cleared yesterday of involvement in the murder of a Mongolian woman, in a case linked to top government figures that has gripped Malaysia.

Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, was accused of abetting the 2006 slaying of his former lover Altantuya Shaariibuu, whose body was blown up with explosives in a jungle clearing.

In one of the longest hearings in Malaysia’s history, a court spent 151 days considering whether there was a case against Abdul Razak and two police officers accused of carrying out the murder.

“I find there is no prima facie case for him to answer his charge. He is therefore acquitted and discharged,” said Judge Mohamad Zaki Mohamad Yasin.

Abdul Razak, 48, hugged his wife and daughter from the dock while his elderly parents sat crying in the court.

“I just want to go home,” he said as he was escorted out through a huge media scrum.

However, the court ordered the two policemen — from an elite unit that guards the prime minister and deputy prime minister — to enter their defense. The case will be heard from Nov. 10.

Altantuya’s father Setev Shaariibuu was distraught over the decision, in a case that has been seen as a test of the strength of Malaysia’s much-criticized judiciary.

“I am not satisfied. My daughter knows only one Malaysian and it is Razak Baginda. Now my daughter is dead and Baginda is freed ... the country has lost credibility in the world,” he told reporters.

Najib, who is expected to be appointed premier next March when Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stands down, has vehemently denied any involvement in the killing of the 28-year-old interpreter.

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim condemned the handling of the case.

“There is a general and growing perception that the investigation was not done professionally and that there is a clear motive to cover up,” he told reporters.
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