Utusan Pix

The first two days of trial saw the reporters unable to agree on this point: Did or didn’t Razak Baginda make the police report of extortion by the late Altantuya. There are conflicting versions on it. Sample this:

The Star

Tun Abdul Majid said that upon confiding in a senior police officer friend about his problems, Abdul Razak was advised to lodge a police report in view of the serious threats.

However, the political analyst did not do so and in turn, asked his friend to keep whatever he told him a secret. Abdul Razak then met C/Insp Azilah at his office at the Bangunan Lembaga Getah Asli on the morning of Oct 18 after his friend gave him his number.

New Straits Times

Balasubramaniam: Because she was extorting money from him.

Tun Majid: Based on your experience, isn’t extortion a criminal offence?

Balasubramaniam: Yes. I advised him to lodge a police report.

The court was told that Razak did lodge a police report. He was accompanied to the police station by a lawyer friend identified only as Darren.

Bernama

He said that after Abdul Razak refused to meet Altantuya at his office, she went to his house and caused a scene before she was taken to the police station to lodge a report.

"Abdul Razak, through his private investigator, asked the deceased not to lodge a police report because he was worried about the publicity in the press and the private investigator also advised him to lodge a police report but he didn't. He also did not follow the advice to get the help of Immigration to deport the deceased," he added.

Utusan

Rentetan cerita tersebut tidak terputus apabila terdapat keterangan yang menunjukkan Abdul Razak telah menceritakan masalah ugutan Altantuya kepada rakannya, seorang pegawai kanan polis.

Rakannya itu telah menasihati Abdul Razak untuk membuat laporan polis memandangkan ancaman Altantuya adalah serius, namun tertuduh itu tidak berbuat demikian.
Abdul Razak yang telah meminta rakannya itu supaya merahsiakan apa yang telah diceritakan, sebaliknya telah meminta rakannya itu memperkenalkan seorang pegawai polis dari Balai Polis Brickfields untuk membantunya menyelesaikan masalah dengan Altantuya.

If he did make the police report over the extortion bid then he might have nothing to hide and this could be just a simple extortion case went wry.

If he did not make that police report then he might really have something inside the closet. All the inferences that this case has a political implication could well be further bolstered.

At this initial stage what has been unfolded in court is purely a love affairs turned sour leading to the murder. The political inferences may come during cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses and later the testimonies of the defence witnesses.

The case also underscores the importance of getting the right person for the right job.

Getting policemen with access to explosives and firearms would result in a “blow” job (jeffooi’s joke).

Private investigators of which I was one, with no access to explosives and firearms would resort to cleaner and quieter resolution.

There was a case in Singapore in which a man befriended a vagabond, insured him for S$500,000 and then took him to Cambodia where he drown in a bath tub.

He returned to Singapore and made the insurance claim but was rejected, He sued and the case was dismissed on the following grounds:-

1. The vagabond’s drowning was under mysterious circumstances; and
2. The man had no “insurable interest” over the vagabond.

If the drowning were to happen in Singapore he would not only lose his claim but also his life as well via hanging for murder.

A private investigator would instead advise to him to lure her to Cambodia on promises of reconciliation and then adopt the bath tub strategy.

Of course the PI would have other methods as just as clean and quiet. But the moral of the story is: If one must take a bath in Cambodia, never use a bath tub.

The other moral is: If one doesn't want a "blow" job, seek help from PI instead.