Razak Baginda's 1st lawyer to give police statement

malaysianinsider | Former KL Bar chief M. Puravalen, who was Abdul Razak Baginda's first lawyer in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, has been called in for questioning by the police in connection with private investigator P. Balasubramaniam's explosive sworn statements on the slaying.

The questioning is part of police investigations into the private investigator's allegations in the sworn statement that Abdul Razak told him that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak knew Altantuya and was intimate with her.

He retracted the declaration a day later and has gone into hiding. Police have recorded a statement from Balasubramaniam who said his first statutory declaration, made public by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was made under duress.

Puravalen was engaged by Abdul Razak's family to represent him after his arrest in late 2006. The bearded lawyer subsequently pulled out and was replaced by K.K. Wong.

Abdul Razak, an advisor to Najib, and two police officers are facing the death penalty for the murder of Altantuya.