Defence Grills Altantuya S Cousin If Photo With Najib Exists

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Altantuya Shaariibuu's cousin is grilled on the existence of an alleged photograph depicting the slain Mongolian national with former premier Najib Abdul Razak
Lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon posited that Burmaa Oyunchimeg had lied about having seen the photograph
Manjeet is representing Altantuya's former lover Abdul Razak Baginda in the RM100 million civil suit filed by the deceased's family
Yesterday, Burmaa told the Shah Alam High Court that Altantuya had shown her a photograph from her trip to Paris in which the deceased was with two men, Razak Baginda and a “deputy prime minister named Razak”
Manjeet started his line of questioning by confirming with Burmaa if she had met Razak Baginda on three occasions in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Singapore between 2004 and 2005, and spent time with him and Altantuya
When she answered in the affirmative, the lawyer referred to her statement in court about asking Altantuya who were the men in the photograph when she had met Razak Baginda before
Manjeet: Did you ask your friend (cousin) who are those in the picture
Burmaa: No. I know Razak Baginda
Manjeet: Listen to me
Burmaa: Perhaps there was a mistake, but I know Razak Baginda
Manjeet: You already know the mistake
Burmaa: Yes, English is my second language
Manjeet: Because you are lying to the court
Burmaa: I am under oath
Manjeet: Did you ask, who are these people
Burmaa: Yes
Manjeet: You know this man, you are globetrotting with him, staying in the same hotel, and you say you recognise him -Burmaa: (Inaudible)Manjeet: Don't interrupt me. You looked at this picture and asked, who are they
Burmaa: Yes
Manjeet: You did not recognise Razak (Baginda)
Burmaa: Yes, of course, I did
Manjeet: Then why did you say this in your statement, 'When we were back in Mongolia, she showed me pictures of her trip to Paris with Razak. I remember I saw a picture of three people, two men and Altantuya. I asked her who they were.'There are two men. One is someone you spent time with, you mean to say you did not recognise both of them
Burmaa: I did recognise Razak Baginda
Manjeet: Then why did you say this in your statement and sign it
Burmaa: I was mistaken
Manjeet: You were mistaken
Burmaa: By the word. I am not mistaken when I saw Razak Baginda
Manjeet: Can I suggest that perhaps your English is not as good as you say it is
Burmaa: Yes, you may
Manjeet: Why did you make this simple error
Burmaa: It happened between me and my sister (Altantuya). I was asking Altantuya who was in the picture with Razak Baginda and Altantuya
Manjeet: I put it to you, you were never shown any picture
Burmaa: I did
Manjeet: I put it to you there was no such picture
Burmaa: I saw it, I am telling you what I saw
Manjeet: I put it to you, that this is a made up story
Burmaa: I disagree
The witness then explained that while she did not remember when exactly Altantuya had shown her the photograph, she was certain that it was after the two of them returned to Mongolia from their trip to Singapore in March 2015
According to her, Altantuya had numerous photographs of her trip to Paris, especially of herself and with Razak Baginda, but also the alleged photograph with Najib
Burmaa: I asked who was this man with her and Razak Baginda. She told me it was a high-ranking official in Malaysia, and she told me a name, Najib Razak
When I heard the name I asked are they brothers because of the same name
She said 'no, they are good friends and business partners and he is a high-ranking official in Malaysia'. That's exactly what she told me
Manjeet: When did you memorise that speech
Burmaa: I remember that was all
Manjeet: I put it to you that you memorised your speech and you know exactly what evidence you would be giving in court
Burmaa: (Inaudible)Manjeet: You know exactly what evidence you gave in court
Burmaa: Yes
Manjeet: That is why you made this obvious error. You did not know who these people in the photographs were because today you are lying
Burmaa: What are you accusing me of? I said I recognised Razak Baginda, I didn't recognise Najib Razak. That is why I asked who was the other person in the picture
Manjeet: Alright, okay
The line of questioning then shifted to Altantuya's sons
Later, Manjeet asked Burmaa about a photograph submitted by the plaintiffs, which she said was similar to the photograph Altantuya had shown her
Burmaa said the woman in that photograph was not Altantuya, and it was "the worst photoshop job" she had seen
She said the photograph was unnatural as the men were not looking at the camera
"In the original picture, they were all smiling," she added
However, she said the two men in the fake photograph, Najib and Razak Baginda, were the same men she saw in the original photograph
She also made a passing comment that the original photograph "doesn't exist anymore"
Asked by senior federal counsel Jasmee Hameeza Jaafar about the photograph's whereabouts, Burmaa said she did not know
"I was told by Mr Ang that the photo is with Altantuya (when she came to Malaysia in October 2006)
"Mr Ang said he saw that photo too," she added in referrence to Ang Chong Beng, a private investigator hired by Altantuya
Burmaa said there were other photographs from Altantuya's trip to Paris, including those of her outside a Louis Vuitton boutique and of her and Razak Baginda in a Ferrari
She said these photographs were still likely to be in the possession of Altantuya's family in Mongolia
Yesterday, Najib reiterated his denial about having met Altantuya and dismissed Burmaa's claim regarding the photograph as a lie
The civil suit was filed by Altantuya's family in 2007, a year after her death
In January 2015, former police special operations force personnel Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar were sentenced to death for the murder
Razak Baginda, who was accused of abetting the pair, was acquitted
The trial continues tomorrow with Altantuya's father Shaariibuu Setev taking the stand - Mkini

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