PETALING JAYA: In his latest posting, Raja Petra Kamarudin has revealed how private investigator P Balasubramaniam was allegedly conned of the RM700,000 promised to him by Anwar Ibrahim.
Citing a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) source who quoted carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishnan’s statement to the MACC, the Malaysia Today webmaster claimed that Balasubramaniam was promised the amount in return for his first statutory declaration to implicate Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.
In July 2008, Raja Petra said a prominent lawyer introduced Balasubramaniam to lawyers R Sivarasa and Americk Sidhu.
“Sivarasa then arranged for Balasubramaniam to meet Anwar to discuss signing a SD to directly implicate Najib and Rosmah in Altantuya’s murder.
“Balasubramaniam met Anwar twice, the first time a few days before the SD was signed and the second time on the SD day itself wherein he sat beside Anwar and gave his press conference flanked by his lawyer,” he added.
The first time the prominent lawyer brought Balasubramaniam to meet Anwar, Raja Petra said he was promised RM700,000.00 if he agreed to come up with the SD by July 1, 2008.
“Anwar had agreed to pay the RM700,000 through the lawyer and the payment was to be made in two stages – Part A, RM200,000, immediately and Part B, RM500,000, after the press conference.
On July 1, 2008, Balasubramaniam made the SD and proceeded to conduct the press conference on July 3, 2008, organised by Anwar and his lawyers at the PKR headquarters.
“Unfortunately for Balasubramaniam, after the press conference, the lawyer only paid him RM100,000 although he had received RM200,000 from Anwar.
“The lawyer told Balasubramaniam that Anwar had instructed for the balance to be paid after a few days. The balance of RM500,000 – the lawyer pocketed all to himself without Balasubramaniam knowing,” he added.
‘Perfect timing’
Raja Petra said a vexed Balasubramaniam then tried to contact Anwar through Americk and other people he knew in PKR such as Sivarasa.
However, he added that Anwar never responded at all to him because the latter believed that Balasubramaniam was fully paid.
At the same time, Raja Petra said Balasubramaniam started getting calls from the Brickfields police station and he became worried.
“He started to panic as Anwar was not responding and the lawyer had just cheated him of his only income to enable him and his family to leave Malaysia. Balasubramaniam didn’t know that the lawyer cheated him.
“Balasubramaniam, the next day after waiting for Anwar or his lawyer to call him, realised that he had been cheated of his promised money. He then contacted Deepak [Jaikishan] through a mutual friend, Suresh, and asked to meet Deepak so that he could relate what had happened. Deepak informed Suresh that he would first discuss this matter with Rosmah and get back to him as soon as possible,” he added.
That afternoon, Raja Petra said, Rosmah called Deepak regarding the SD matter and the discussion got to Balasubramaniam.
“Deepak told Rosmah what he had found out from Suresh and she asked Deepak to try and help to resolve the attempt to frame her husband with the murder case.
“Deepak told Rosmah he would speak to Balasubramaniam directly and get a true picture of the entire events and how this thing can be resolved. Deepak spoke to Balasubramaniam on the phone number given by Suresh and asked him if he was prepared to tell the truth about the SD conspiracy, which was now being exploited as a political asset by Najib’s competitors.
“However, Balasubramaniam was reluctant to do so as he said he didn’t want to trust any politicians as Anwar had cheated him on the amount of money promised and at the same time he was worried that Najib’s people were going to get him arrested again like during the Razak Baginda case.
“Deepak told Balasubramnaim don’t worry because if he was willing to tell the truth he would be protected and would not be harassed by the police. He can get this assurance,” he added.
According to Raja Petra, Anwar asked Balasubramaniam to make the SD to stop Najib from taking over the prime minister’s post then.
“The timing was perfect and Anwar wanted this whole thing to implicate Najib and Rosmah to prevent him from becoming PM and thus allowing him to succeed with his Sept 16 plan to get the MPs in Sabah to defect so that he could become PM as they were demoralised at that time under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s administration,” he said.
Bala recently came back to Malaysia after being away for some years and has since his return been involved in PKR roadshows to implicate Najib with Altantuya.
