French paper quotes KL police documents on Altantuya's last moments

JUST when people thought that the ghost of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu
that has been haunting Malaysian politics since her 2006 murder has been laid to
rest, a French newspaper has resurrected it.

The two-page 'expose' in the Liberation newspaper hit the streets of Paris
yesterday and contains what it claims are fresh revelations in the case,
including Ms Shaariibuu's final moments.

A close associate of Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was charged
with conspiring in the killing.


Mr Abdul Razak Baginda, who was alleged to be her lover, was acquitted without
being called to enter his defence.

But two policemen are still on trial for killing her.

The scandal and subsequent rumours were so damaging that Mr Najib had to swear
on the Quran that he did not know Ms Shaariibuu.

The latest article, filed by journalist Arnaud Dubus, quotes a police document
obtained from a police source. It gives chilling details of of Ms Shaariibuu's
last moments.

Mr Dubus wrote that the document revealed 'dry and precise descriptions' on how
she was killed.

In it, one person says: 'When the Chinese woman saw that I was taking a gun, she
begged me to spare her, saying she was pregnant. (Another person)... grabbed her
and (threw) her on the ground. I immediately shot the left side of her face.

'Then (an accomplice) took off her clothes and put them in a black plastic bag.

'(He) noticed that her hand was still moving.

'He ordered me to shoot again, which I did.

'Then we carried her body into the woods. (He) wrapped the explosives around her
legs, her abdomen and her head, and we exploded her.'

Three months

Mr Dubus told liberal news website Malaysiakini that he spent three months
investigating the case.

'I spent two weeks in Kuala Lumpur, then went to Ulan Bator, where I stayed one
week. Then, in Paris in January, where I spent 10 days,' he said .

In his report, which was written in French, Mr Dubus wrote about Ms Shaariibuu's
relationship with Mr Abdul Razak and the role she played in the purchase of
European submarines by the Malaysian government.

He said that the story 'turned dramatic' in October 2006 when Ms Shaariibuu was
informed that the commission - paid by a European firm to the Malaysian
government for the deal - had arrived at a Kuala Lumpur bank account.

'Altantuya rushed to Kuala Lumpur, in order to claim her share of the commission
from Baginda; she said she was entitled to US$500,000 ($780,000),' the article
alleged.

The article did not provide any documents to substantiate its claims on the
commissions.

Ms Shaariibuu was turned down but continued to harass Mr Abdul Razak.

She was murdered soon after.

The report also makes several allegations against Mr Najib but did not
substantiate them, reported liberal news portal Malaysian Insider.

An aide to Mr Najib told the website: 'Najib has already responded to the
allegations. He has sworn on the Quran that he has never met her. What else can
he do?'

The aide said the article is part of an effort to smear Mr Najib just before he
takes office as Malaysia's sixth prime minister.