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Press Statement

by Lim Guan Eng

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(Petaling Jaya, Tuesday): DAP expresses concern about the extraordinary application by the prosecution in the sensational Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial to impeach their star witness Rohaniza Roslan, 29, for inconsistency, lying and and changing her stories where her testimony in court contradicted the police statement recorded. Clearly this has heavily jeorpardised their case against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's political advisor Abdul Razak Baginda and two others for murder by blowing up Altatunya with C4 explosives. 

There are so many twists and turns in this murder trial that the conduct of the trial itself is becoming a spectacle and an issue of public interest with Malaysians. Judges have been changed, defence counsels changed and even the prosecution team changed at the last minute. Now even the prosecution star witness is impeached by the prosecution themselves for perjury. 

The abysmal preparation of the case continues the poor quality and unprofessional work done by the prosecution following the acquittal of tycoon Tan Sri Eric Chia Eng Hock by the Sessions Court recently of committing criminal breach of trust 13 years ago involving RM76.4mil. Judge Akhtar Tahir was scathing of the handling of the Eric Chia's case, ruling that the prosecution had not proven a prima facie case.  Describing it as a total lack of direction by the prosecution and that the prosecution's case has been negated by their own evidence and crippled by the non-calling of essential witnesses, Judge Akhtar acquitted Eric Chia without requiring his defence being called. 

The failure of the prosecution to impeach other prosecution witnesses only lends credibility to their testimony in court in particular Prosecution Witness Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir's claim that her entry on 8 October 2006 into Malaysia was deleted from the Immigration Department's computer records as well as Burmaa Oyunchimeg that she was shown a photograph of Altatunya having a meal together with Abdul Razak Baginda and Najib himself. 

Why has the Immigration Department maintained a loud silence despite such serious claims in court that is not rebutted by the prosecution? This has given rise to suspicions whether the entry records were deleted so that if anything happened, no one would know she went missing in Malaysia as her entry record into the country is not recorded. 

The Immigration Department should give a full explanation how entry records could be deleted, make a full apology and carry out the necessary corrections if a mistake is made. If indeed there was manipulation, then the harshest action possible including imprisonment, should be imposed on the immigration officers who abused their powers. Any failure to do so would only lend weight to suspicions of a conspiracy to cover-up in high places in view of public knowledge that one of the accused, Abdul Razak Baginda is a close political strategist for Najib. 

Such claims of deleting computer records have disturbed not just Malaysians but also the international community that such basic information can be manipulated at will. Unless the allegations are rebuttted, Malaysia's standing in the foreign intelligence community fighting international terrorism will be adversely affected as unreliable and faulty or worse even suspected for being severely compromised.