Cousin reaffirms seeing photo of Altantuya and 'DPM Razak' in Paris

Altantuya Shaariibuu's cousin reaffirmed seeing a photograph of the slain Mongolian national in Paris together with her then lover Abdul Razak Baginda and a "deputy prime minister" named Razak.

"When we were back in Mongolia, she showed me pictures of her trip to Paris. I remember seeing three people (in the photograph), two men and Altantuya," said Burmaa Oyunchimeg.

"I asked her who they were, and she (Altantuya) said one was the deputy prime minister and the other was Razak who worked with him and did business together.

"I asked her if they were brothers because of the same name. She said no but they were best friends, business partners and worked together," she told the Shah Alam High Court this morning.

Burmaa, who was testifying as a witness in a RM100 million civil suit filed by Altantuya's family over her death, was most likely referring to the 2005 trip to Paris the deceased was said to have gone with Razak Baginda, a close confidant of fomer premier Najib Abdul Razak.

At the time, Najib was the deputy prime minister.

However, when shown a photograph of Najib, Razak Baginda and a woman, Burmaa said the woman was not Altantuya.

The photograph shown in court was the one PKR vice-president Tian Chua had admitted to composing in 2007.

Burmaa first raised seeing Najib in a photo with Razak and Altantuya during the latter's murder trial in 2007.

Najib has repeatedly denied knowing Altantuya, or that he had any part in her death.

During the 2016 Umno general assembly, Najib quipped that his wife Rosmah Mansor would have "done something" if he knew Altantuya.

The civil trial continues tomorrow with the defence cross-examining Burmaa.

The suit was first filed in 2007, a year after Altantuya's death.

Former police special operations force personnel Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar were found guilty of Altantuya's murder by the Federal Court in January 2015 and sentenced to death.

However, Sirul had fled to Australia earlier when the Court of Appeal acquitted the pair. He is now being held at an immigration detention centre in Sydney since Australian law forbids deporting those who face the death sentence in their home countries.

Razak Baginda, who was accused of abetting the two former police officers in her murder, was acquitted. - Mkini