Azilah Was Driver Of Car That Took Altantuya, Says Witness

June 20, 2007 15:45 PM

Azilah Was Driver Of Car That Took Altantuya, Says Witness

SHAH ALAM, June 20 (Bernama) -- Chief Insp Azilah Hadri was identified in the High Court here today as the driver of the red Proton Wira car that took Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu away from the house of political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda last Oct 19.

Pointing to Azilah in the dock as the driver, Abdul Razak's private investigator P. Balasubramaniam said he also saw another woman seated in the back of the car with Altantuya.

(Yesterday Balasubramaniam, the first prosecution witness, told the court that he saw Altantuya being detained and taken away by three police personnel on the night the Mongolian was killed.)

Azila, 30, and Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, of the Bukit Aman Special Action Unit, are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, at a location between lots 12843 and 16735, Mukim Bukit Raja here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.

Abdul Razak, 46, is charged with abetting them in the Federal Territory between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19 last year.

Balasundram, 47, said that he called Abdul Razak to inform him as Altantuya was being taken away.

He said that the following day he met Abdul Razak at the latter's office at Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli in Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, between 2pm and 3pm.

He said that although his service as Abdul Razak's private investigator ended on Oct 26 last year, Abdul Razak still kept in touch with him and had forwarded him an SMS containing a threat from Altantuya's sister, Amy.

Between Oct 26 and Nov 7 last year he had contacted Abdul Razak several times to enquire about Altantuya's murder and what had really happened but Abdul Razak said that he himself did not know, he added.

Balasubramaniam said he learnt about the murder when he was called to make an identification at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Nov 1 2006.

He called Abdul Razak to inform him and the latter said that he would contact senior police officers.

The hearing continues in the afternoon.

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