Razak Baginda wanted a baby with Altantuya, says witness

Altantuya Shaariibbuu’s cousin, Namiraa Gerelmaa, who testified before the High Court today.

SHAH ALAM: A witness told the High Court today that Abdul Razak Baginda had wanted to have a baby with Altantuya Shaariibbuu as he already had one daughter with his wife.

Namiraa Gerelmaa said Altantuya had told her that this was the wish of Razak, one of the four defendants in the suit brought by the Mongolian’s family.

“I remember clearly that she told me Razak wanted to have a son as he had a grown-up daughter with his wife who is an elderly lady,” she said when examined by lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo.

Namiraa, 35, is Altantuya’s cousin. She said Altantuya had told her that she and Razak were to a certain extent like “husband and wife”.

Namiraa said Altantuya had told her this when she and another Mongolian, Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir, accompanied Altantuya to meet Razak in Kuala Lumpur.

The three, who stayed at Hotel Malaya, arrived at Kuala Lumpur in October 2006.

Namiraa, a former journalist, said Altantuya told her she had met Razak in Hong Kong in late 2004 and spent a night with him.

“She told me about the trips she and Razak had together in the UK, Malaysia and France,” she added.

Namiraa is the third witness to take the stand. She said Altantuya told her that Razak had introduced her to his lawyer in Malaysia as his “Mongolian wife”.

“The reason was that he wanted to give a portion of his properties and assets to Altantuya,” she added.

Altantuya was murdered in 2006 in the jungles in Puncak Alam near Shah Alam, Selangor. She was shot in the head before her body was blown up with explosives.

Two policemen, Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri, who were the personal bodyguards of then-deputy prime minister Najib Razak, were found guilty and sentenced to death for her murder.

Razak, who was an aide to Najib, was charged with abetting the duo but later acquitted without his defence being called.

Altantuya’s father, Shaariibuu Setev, his wife Altantsetseg Sanjaa, and Altantuya’s son Mungunshagai have named Razak, the government, Sirul and Azilah as defendants in their suit.

The family, which alleges that there was conspiracy in Altantuya’s murder, is seeking RM100 million in damages, including dependency claims.

When cross-examined by Razak’s lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon, Namiraa said Altantuya’s husband in Mongolia was a popular singer who frequently appeared on local television.

“He still looks after Mungunshagai,” she said.

The hearing before justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera continues tomorrow.

She also dismissed a suggestion by Manjeet that she had exaggerated her statement, and that Altantuya had only told her that she was going to Kuala Lumpur to meet Razak.

Manjeet had suggested this as Uuriintuya, in her evidence during the criminal trial, testified that Altantuya had only mentioned meeting Razak.

Hearing before Justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera continues tomorrow. -FMT