Cash for Bala paid by PM's brother, claims Deepak

Carpet trader Deepak Jaikishin has named the premier's younger brother Mohd Nazim Abdul Razak as the person who paid P Balasubramaniam in return for the former private eye signing his controversial second statutory declaration (SD).

"I affirm what was earlier said that Datuk Nazim joined the meeting to facilitate whatever needed to be done. My involvement was just to get everyone together," he told Malaysiakini in an interview yesterday.

He said that he did this as a favour to PM's wife Rosmah Mansor after receiving a call from her.

Balasubramaniam, who had gone public with the first SD on July 3, 2008 linking PM Najib Razak to murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, claimed he was coerced to sign the second declaration refuting his earlier one.

The private investigator, who is now living in exile with his family in India, also claimed that he was paid off in cash later - with more money promised to him - after he agreed to sign the SD and relocate himself and his family out of the country.

According to Deepak, the money paid to Balasubramaniam came from "Datuk Nazim and his resources".

"Yes," he replied when asked again to confirm that the "Datuk Nazim" he mentioned was indeed Najib's brother.

Apparently promised RM5 million for his about-turn, Balasubramaniam said he received a total of RM750,000 in instalments before the payments eventually stopped.

Malaysiakini had tried to contact the premier's younger sibling for his response to no avail, though a chance encounter between Nazim (left) and the news portal's journalists during Friday prayers at Masjid Negara in December 2009 yielded a curt "I have nothing to say"from the architect.

Nazim was visiting the grave of his father, second prime minister Abdul Razak, when approached by Malaysiakini.

His elder brother, the PM, had also similarly dismissed Balasubramaniam's allegations with two words - "frivolous statements".

Malaysiakini had two weeks prior to that sent a list of questions to Nazim's office but did not receive any response. Repeated attempts to call him and visit his office also proved futile.

'The curse of Altantuya'

Incidentally, Deepak had earlier denied having arranged the meeting between Nazim and Balasubramaniam at a popular shopping mall in Damansara, which he now confirmed.

The carpet trader said he felt the need to come clean as he believed "the curse of Altantuya" is on him.

Deepak, behind red eyes and between racking coughs apologising that he was unwell and had been through a lot in the past month or so, added that he feared "her ghost is not resting in peace" and "is crying out for justice".

On his left arm hung about five centimeters worth of what seemed to be yellow and red prayer strings - the kind one gets from a temple for protection or when praying for favours from the almighty.

His decision to go public followed what he described as attempts by those he had helped to "stifle" and "disrupt" his life in order to silence him for his part in Balasubramaniam's (right) second SD saga.

"I understand that in politics when the noise is too much, there is a cooling-off period, but here maybe because the nature (of our politicians) there is also the stifling. (It's) the stifling I cannot stand," he told Malaysiakini at the interview, the second in as many weeks.

"You don't stifle someone who have helped you."

No choice but to retaliate

He described what he alleged are contracts cancelled, business delayed, raids on his companies by government agencies and direct harassment to his person through intimidating SMSes and phone calls which had him fearing for his safety.

"I am just a simple businessman, if you don't disturb me, I will not disturb you," lamented Deepak, warning that he has more information to release if the harassment against him continue, with evidence stashed overseas and instructions to lawyers that these be made public in case anything untoward happened to him.

He said that he is done cowering in fear as they have already done everything imaginable against him. As such, he feels it is time for him to seek redress.

"You cannot molest someone you have already raped," he said, stressing that he has no choice but to retaliate.

"I have no ulterior motives," assured Deepak though he pleaded with the enforcement agencies to investigate all his claims as they must show the world that in Malaysia, no one - no matter how powerful he or she is - can get away with committing wrongdoings.

He called upon government officials, politicians and cabinet ministers to no longer cringe in fear of the duo whom he only referred to as the "powerful couple".

"You cannot be afraid of any persons - if they are angels then maybe, but since there are just mere mortals, then you shouldn't be."