Witness: Altantuya trailed, threatened by 'Razak Baginda's men'

Two men allegedly employed by Abdul Razak Baginda had trailed and threatened Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in the few days between her arrival at Kuala Lumpur in October 2006 and the day she was found dead.

Altantuya's cousin Namiraa Gerelmaa, 35, said the two men – identified as Bala and Suras Kumar – had hung around Hotel Malaya, where she and her cousin were staying in an eighth floor room, along with their friend Urintuya Gal-Ochir.

Namiraa described Bala as being the shorter and older of the two, while Suras was taller and skinnier. Both men, she claimed, followed Altantuya around.

"When we came out of the hotel for a meal, they were waiting for us. They followed us out for a meal.

"We were quite scared," Namiraa (photo) told the High Court in Shah Alam, adding that she was warned by Altantuya to be careful of the duo, as they were "Razak Baginda's men."

"One time they knocked on the door and we opened it a little bit, they pushed it and came into our hotel room... they were lying on our bed, smoking and spitting on our floor.

"They were talking to Altantuya in English, and at one point she suddenly stopped... she told us in Mongolian that the taller man said, 'Do you want to see how you fall down the 8th floor?'," she read from her witness statement.

'Grave danger'

Despite the scary incident, Namiraa said they agreed to meet with the men again the next day as they promised to no longer threaten them.

"That evening only the taller man Suras came into the room. Altantuya and he had a long conversation in English, which she was translating as they spoke.

"The man said that all three of our lives are in danger... that we must return to Mongolia or else our lives are in grave danger."

In response to the warning, Namiraa recounted how Altantuya had pleaded to be allowed to meet Razak Baginda (photo) one last time, but had her request turned down by Suras, who left the hotel room at dawn.

She told the court that their last encounter with Bala was outside Razak Baginda's house later the same day, when Altantuya had attempted to go and meet him.

She said that her cousin was told to return, with a promise that Razak Baginda would arrange to meet her soon.

According to Namiraa, Altantuya left the hotel at around 9pm the same night, supposedly to go and meet with Razak at a beach house.

That was the last time Altantuya was seen alive.

Earlier in her testimony, Namiraa said she first noticed the two men outside Razak Baginda's office in Kuala Lumpur, where they had approached Altantuya to ask her for a lighter.

At that time, Namiraa said they had gone to Razak Baginda's office, as Altantuya was looking to claim payments that he owed her for several translation jobs.

Namiraa is the third witness in the RM100 million civil suit filed by Altantuya's family against Razak Baginda, the Malaysian government and two others. - Mkini