Malaysian police said yesterday they had asked Interpol to help find a private investigator who had been reported missing since making explosive claims linking the deputy prime minister to a murder.
The detective, Balasubramaniam Perumal, disappeared along with his wife and three children on Friday after retracting an allegation that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak had sexual relations with the murder victim.
The case is linked to a political brawl between opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and Razak, which could decide who is the next leader of Malaysia.
At a press conference on Thursday organized by Anwar, Perumal released a sworn statement accusing Najib of having an affair with 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu.
The Mongolian woman was shot in the head twice before her body was blown up with C4 explosives in October 2006. One of Najib’s top aides and two state bodyguards are on trial for the murder.
Balasubramaniam said he had detailed information about Najib’s relationship with Altantuya that he gave police but which was never raised at the trial, or in a police report he was asked to sign.
Najib reacted angrily, saying he had never met Altantuya and “absolutely” did not have a sexual relationship with her. He said the allegations were a fabrication “designed to tarnish my image.”
In the next shock development, Balasubramanian retracted the allegations on Friday, saying he made them under duress.
His nephew on Saturday filed a missing person’s report, saying the investigator and his family had disappeared.
Criminal Investigation Department Director Bakri Zinin said Malaysian police had enlisted the help of Interpol and authorities in neighboring countries to help locate him.
“We are seeking Balasubramaniam to help in our investigations,” he told a press conference yesterday. “We suspect he is either in hiding or someone is hiding him I give a guarantee of his safety if he comes to meet us, and he is free to bring a lawyer to the meeting.”
“The police in the country have been put on alert to find him and we have informed Interpol and ASEANAPOL as well as the police in neighboring countries,” he said.
The nephew’s lawyer, R. Surendren, said the family was concerned over the fate of the investigator, who could not be contacted by his relatives.
“He is worried that his uncle has been taken away unlawfully because of the first [sworn statement] and wants the police to investigate,” Surendren said.
The detective’s bombshell was the latest twist in the high-stakes political melodrama — featuring allegations of sex, murder, lies and sodomy — that has gripped the nation since a March 8 general election handed a resurgent opposition led by former deputy premier Anwar unprecedented gains.
A 23-year-old aide has accused Anwar of sodomy, a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Anwar rejected the allegation made a week ago and said it was part of a top-level conspiracy to keep him from running for parliament and block his drive to woo defectors from the ruling coalition.
The three-party opposition alliance made historic gains in the election, winning five of 13 state governments and coming within 30 seats of taking control of the 222-member parliament.
The alliance was holding a rally at a football stadium outside Kuala Lumpur yesterday to protest against rising food and fuel prices. Police had refused to give the rally organizers a permit, but were noticeably absent at the event.
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