A quick survey of robber baron families (repost)

Is it really just a question of strong egos pitted against the weak? There were rumors that the late Shah of Iran installed a solid gold toilet in his private jet. Yet, on his death bed, his last words to his expensive medical team were: "Please save me!"

Why are there people who think nothing of living in the lap of super luxury like the spawn of lesser gods while "ordinary" people are forced to scrape and scrabble for a meager sustenance? Could it be the manifestation of a severe personality disorder that some folks seem utterly incapable of empathy?

Joshua E. Keating, associate editor of Foreign Policy, has written an elegant summary of the opulent lifestyles of the rich and tyrannical. Read it and weep... for their souls!

[First posted 16 January 2011]

FLASHBACK TO MAY 2011: Intense US diplomatic interest in Altantuya murder trial revealed by Wikileaks (reprise)

The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur closely followed the trial of the accused killers of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu and frequently discussed whether current Prime Minister Najib Razak was involved in the killing, according to diplomatic cables supplied to Asia Sentinel by the WikiLeaks website.

The diplomats, like much of the public, also speculated that the trial was being deliberately delayed and feared what one cable calls "prosecutorial misconduct" that was being politically manipulated. The embassy officials based their concerns on sources within the prosecution, government and the political opposition.

The cables also draw attention to an intriguing allegation that then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may have attempted to use the proceedings to implicate Najib, a claim that was quickly hushed up in the Malaysian press.

Sirul Azhar & Azilah Hadri, Najib's bodyguards

Altantuya was murdered in October 2006 by two of Najib's bodyguards, chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 30 and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, who stood trial and were pronounced guilty in April 2009.

Abdul Razak Baginda, one of Najib's best friends and Altantuya's lover, was accused of participating in the murder but was freed without having to put on a defence.

The murder has been tied closely to the US$1 billion acquisition of French submarines by the Malaysian Defence Ministry, which Najib headed during the acquisitions. Altantuya reportedly acted as a translator on the transaction, which netted Razak Baginda's company a 114 million euros (RM534.8 million) "commission" on the purchase.

Reportedly she had been offered US$500,000 for her part in translating. After she was jilted, she vainly demanded payment. A letter she had written was made public after her death saying she regretted attempting to "blackmail" Razak Baginda.

French lawyers are investigating whether some of the 114 million euros was kicked back to French or Malaysian politicians. Despite the scandal, the US government has not publicly backed away from Najib.

In April 2010, Najib visited the White House and was praised by President Barack Obama for the Parliament's passage of an act allowing Malaysian authorities to take action against individuals and entities engaged in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The cables are replete with accounts of a long series of meetings with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who repeatedly told the Americans that Najib was connected to corrupt practices in the acquisition of the submarines as well as the purchase of Sukhoi Su-MCM-30 Flanker fighter jets from Russia. Anwar also called attention to Najib's connection to the Altantuya case.

Prosecution ineptitude by design?

A Jan 24, 2007 cable, marked ‘secret', wrote that "Perceived irregularities on the part of prosecutors and the court, and the alleged destruction of some evidence, suggested to many that the case was subject to strong political pressure intended to protect Najib."

Altantuya with her son

In a Feb 1, 2008 cable, embassy's political section chief Mark D Clark wrote that a deputy prosecutor had told him "there was almost no chance of winning guilty verdicts in the on-going trial of defendants Razak Baginda (left), a close advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, and two police officers. She described the trial as interminably long." (That, of course, turned out to be wrong. Sirul (below, right) and Azilah (below, left) were ultimately convicted and have appealed their sentence).

Clark called the trial a "a prosecutorial embarrassment from its inception, leading many to speculate that the ineptitude was by design. On the eve of the trial, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail dropped his lead prosecutors and replaced them with less experienced attorneys.

Similarly, a lead counsel for one of the defendants abruptly resigned before the trial 'because of (political) attempts to interfere with a defence he had proposed, in particular to protect an unnamed third party.'"

The protracted nature of the case, Clark continued, led "at least one regional newspaper to speculate that ‘the case is being deliberately delayed to drive it from public view'. Malaysia's daily newspapers rarely mention the case's latest developments, and it is unprecedented in Malaysian judicial history that a murder trial could drag on for seven months and still not give the defence an opportunity to present its case.

"Such an environment has led many to conclude that the case was too politically sensitive to yield a verdict before the anticipated general elections."

Musa Safri.
Najib's aide-de-camp

A January 2007 cable called attention to Razak Baginda's affidavit confirming that he sought the help of Musa Safri, later identified by reporters as Najib's aide-de-camp, in ridding him of the jilted woman, and in other cables pointed out that Musa had never been called for questioning.

In another cable, dated May 16, 2007, Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, a then aide to former prime minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi, told US Embassy officials that he was "certain that government prosecutors would limit their trial activities to the murder itself and the three defendants; prosecutors would not follow up on allegations of related corruption or other suspects."

In a Jan 27, 2007 cable, marked ‘Secret', embassy officials wrote that "In December we heard from one of (Anwar's) lawyers that Razak Baginda's wife was in contact with Anwar and Wan Azizah, suggesting one possible source for Anwar's information."

Razak Baginda's wife (right), during one of his first appearances in court, screamed that her husband "doesn't want to be prime minister." That was taken by observers as a reference to the fact that Najib reportedly had been having an affair with Altantuya, but passed her on to Razak Baginda because it would be unseemly to have a mistress when he succeeded Abdullah as premier. Najib has offered to swear on the Quran that he had never met the woman.

Perumal Balasubramaniam,
private investigator

However, in July 2008, P Balasubramaniam, a former police officer and private detective who had been hired by Razak Baginda to protect him from Altantuya, filed a sworn statement saying he had been told by the accused man that Najib not only knew the murdered woman but had an affair with her and introduced her to him.

In a telephone interview on May 9, Anwar, however, told Asia Sentinel that Razak Baginda's wife was not the source of his knowledge of Najib's connection and that instead he had been told of the connection by Setev Shaariibuu (seated right in photo), Altantuya's father, who said he had wished to present evidence of Najib's involvement, but was not allowed to do so. Multiple attempts to contact Setev by Asia Sentinel have been unsuccessful.

Almost immediately after he made the statement, Balasubramaniam was picked up and driven to a police station, where he was forced to withdraw the statement and write a new one saying Razak Baginda had told him nothing of the sort. Balasubramaniam fled Malaysia for India.

He later said Najib's brother, Nazim, and wife, Rosmah Mansor, had met with him and that he was offered RM5 million to forget his statement connecting Najib to Altantuya.

Balasubramaniam displayed a flock of checks drawn on the account of an associate of Najib's wife. The former private detective has made a series of statements from outside the country about Najib's involvement.

'You can die, Pak Lah'

A February 2008 cable from political section chief Clark gives a hint that Abdullah Badawi himself may have been trying to get rid of Najib by forcing Razak Baginda to implicate him in the murder.

Razak Baginda, wife & daughter

"In the latest turn of the ongoing Altantuya murder trial, accused political insider Abdul Razak Baginda, who has remained calm and composed through most of the proceedings, unleashed an emotional tirade shortly after the Feb 20 noon recess on the trial's 90th day," Clark wrote.

"Referring to the prime minister by his nick-name 'Pak Lah', Razak reportedly exclaimed: ‘You can die, Pak Lah! (in Malaysian - Matilah kau, Pak Lah!) I'm innocent!' according to unpublished journalist accounts.

"Local newspapers and the government news service Bernama reported the fact of the outburst, but did not print Razak's statements. The short-lived exception was the English language newspaper The Sun, which included the quotations from Razak in its early morning Feb 21 edition.

"Sources at newspaper confirmed to us in confidence that the Ministry of Internal Security compelled The Sun to withdraw and recall thousands of copies of their first run paper in which the original quote was included. Prime Minister Abdullah serves concurrently as Minister of Internal Security."

During the trial, Clark wrote, Razak Baginda, "appeared uneasy throughout the morning session of court on Feb 20. Razak's father, Abdullah Malim Baginda, had whispered something to him shortly before the trial had begun for the morning and apparently upset the accused.

Razak had remained quiet throughout the morning hearings, but just after the noon recess was called and as he was leaving the courtroom he kicked and banged the door and yelled, ‘You can die, Pak Lah! Die, Pak Lah! I am innocent. I am innocent.' He was later seen crying before his lawyer while his mother attempted to comfort him.

Shaariibuu Setev, the murdered woman's father

"Speculation is rife in Malaysia's online community concerning what it was that set off Razak Baginda outburst, including conspiracy theories alleging the Prime Minister's Office had urged Razak to implicate Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ... in return for sparing Razak a guilty verdict and its mandatory death sentence," officials wrote.

The cable goes on to write, "Regardless, the Internal Security Ministry would want to limit any possibly inflammatory reference to the prime minister at the trial, and particularly at this juncture due to the proximity of Malaysia's general election to be held on March 8. Any connection between the prime minister and the murder trial would be scandalous.

"The GOM (government of Malaysia) reportedly has worked hard to ‘drive (the case) from public view' ... and is not about to allow the case to influence the coming elections."

- Asia Sentinel

[Posted 14 April 2015]

11 years on, Altantuya's bigwig killers stay elusive to the law but we all know who they are! (updated)

The three accused arriving at court (photo: AFP)

Despite a detailed confession of pre-meditated murder from Sirul Azhar bin Haji Umar (IC No: RF12559) recorded in Police Report No: 7380/06 on 9 November 2006 at 1635 hrs by Inspector Nom Phot a/l Prack Dit, the Court of Appeal on 23 August 2013 decided to let both Sirul Azhar and his instigator Capt. Azilah Hadri walk free.

Sirul Azhar (left) & Azilah Hadri 

It has been established that Capt. Azilah Hadri was from the elite UTK (Special Operations Unit of the Royal Malaysian Police) and had served as personal bodyguard to then defence minister and deputy prime minister Najib Razak. He was summoned by Najib’s ADC and security chief, DSP Musa Safri, after Abdul Razak Baginda reported to his close friend and biggest client Najib Razak, that he was being harassed relentlessly by a very determined Mongolian woman demanding her share of a RM540 million kickback from a top secret French submarine deal.

Sirul Azhar stated in his police statement that he was recruited by Azilah to assist in “taking care” of a nuisance named Aminah alias Altantuya Shaariibuu. He even added that a cash reward of RM50,000 –100,000 was involved. I doubt Sirul knew who had made the offer, and even if he did, whatever name he mentioned would have been deleted from his statement by police officers eager to protect the VVIPs in Umno Baru.

'Taken care' of at least 6 others

The third accused in the gruesome murder trial was Abdul Razak Baginda who submitted a sworn affidavit to the effect that he had briefed Capt. Azilah Hadri on the problem of Altantuya. Razak Baginda said Capt. Azilah had assured him he was quite up to the task, even boasting that he had previously “taken care” of at least six others.

Nobody in their right mind would confess to cold-blooded murder - more so when the victim is unknown to them and happens to be a pretty woman given the brush-off by some well-heeled and politically connected casanova. Altantuya was obviously not a hardcore criminal. Who would have had the heart to shoot her twice in the head point blank even as she was pleading for her life – and that of her unborn child? Whatever crime she might have committed, blackmail for example, she deserved her day in court. Every policeman knows that – or should in any case.

Altantuya Shaariibuu in Europe with Razak Baginda

However, Capt. Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar weren’t ordinary cops. They were commandos with the UTK, trained as crack sharpshooters and willing to carry out orders without question. Whose orders? Surely they would not obey Abdul Razak Baginda – a mere civilian, albeit one with political clout? The orders had to come from a superior police officer, in this instance Najib Razak’s ADC, former DSP Musa Safri, who has since been promoted and transferred to a different state.

Political masters must take the ultimate responsibility

"Could do with more kickback"

Why was Musa Safri never called as a witness during the trial, which ran a record 159 days? He was security chief and ADC to Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor. Whatever action he took would have been at their behest, in the interest of their personal security. DSP Musa Safri was clearly a loyal servant to his political masters. They are ones who must accept ultimate responsibility for the actions of their loyal servants – particularly if these actions involved abduction and cold-blooded murder, topped by the use of military-grade plastic explosives to destroy evidence of a dead body carrying an unborn child.

We must not forget that somebody in the Immigration Department deliberately deleted from the computer database all entry records of Altantuya Shaariibuu and her companions. Who would have the authority to order such a criminal act? In October 2006 when the drama unfolded the Ministry of Home Affairs (which controls the Immigration Department) had recently been restructured and, although Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad was nominally in charge, it was a period of confusion without clear lines of command.

There must be someone very high in the power hierarchy to accomplish these grievous misdeeds without a hitch (almost). Who does all the evidence point to? Who is the common denominator in this complex web of intrigue?

Was Rosmah really not at the scene? Or was she?

Altantuya Shaariibuu (6 May 1978 – 20 October 2006)

Abdul Razak Baginda had friends in powerful places but maintained a relatively low public profile. He had little to lose except his reputation if his sordid affair with Altantuya became public knowledge - apart from facing the wrath of his wife, Mazlinda Makhzan (a director in the company involved with the submarine deal). Even if this scandal resulted in an investigation by the MACC, it would have been a routine matter to get the case closed after the excitement had subsided.

Same goes for the uniformed personnel involved in the case. Musa Safri may have been guilty of abetting a serious crime, but as a typical Malay police officer whose loyalty to his Tuan Besar superseded his duty as a public servant, he would have received a measure of sympathy had he confessed his role and cleared the path for justice to be served. Capt. Azilah and Sirul were clearly implicated, via Sirul’s confession as well as the detailed statutory declaration signed by private investigator Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal. However, their role was essentially to carry out somebody else’s dirty work.

Raja Petra Kamarudin

In a statutory declaration signed on 18 June 2008 by Raja Petra Kamarudin (the controversial blogger and editor of newsportal Malaysia Today better known as RPK), several others were implicated in the sensational murder. Indeed, RPK’s declaration revealed that Najib’s ambitious wife Rosmah Mansor may have been at the murder scene, along with two high-ranking officers attached to the defence ministry’s engineering corps, Lt Kol, Abdul Aziz Buyong and his wife Lt Kol. Norhayati Hassan, both experts in the use of C4 explosives. RPK claimed he had been given this shocking information by a senior Military Intelligence officer.

RPK subsequently retracted his statutory declaration in April 2011 in a heavily edited interview with TV3, a government-friendly station, explaining that he cannot be certain if what he heard was actually true. His excuse was that he felt it was his duty as a citizen to make public what he had been told in confidence. Others saw it as a clue that RPK might have been instigated into filing his June 2008 declaration by factions focused on derailing Najib Razak’s prime ministerial aspirations.

Who has been leaking the info?

Within Umno Baru there are many who would like to see Najib Razak and his influential wife removed from the game – and the Altantuya scandal serves as the perfect weapon.

Three names immediately spring to mind: Mahathir Mohamad, whose primary goal is to ensure that his youngest son, Mukhriz, eventually becomes prime minister; Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has been eyeing the PM’s post since the mid-1980s; and Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib’s erstwhile deputy, who certainly wouldn’t mind a shot at taking over as Top Gun (or at least seeing the man who fired him forced to step down).

While an in-depth inquiry into the Altantuya murder would have revealed the fact that the Scorpene submarine scam was first mooted in 2002, during Mahathir’s tenure, Najib Razak would definitely be implicated as he was then Mahathir’s defence minister.

Abdul Razak Baginda, according to P.I. Bala’s explosive statutory declaration of 3 July 2008, had been introduced to Altantuya Shaariibuu by his buddy Najib Razak at a diamond expo in Singapore. In an unguarded moment, Razak Baginda had confided to his private eye that Najib could not afford a major scandal after being appointed deputy prime minister, only one step from the top. So he wanted Razak Baginda to take over the role of sugar daddy to his high-maintenance Mongolian paramour.

It is public knowledge that Najib Razak has always had an eye for beautiful women. This weakness is every public figure’s Achilles’ Heel – especially in a political jungle acrawl with hidden predators and a culture supercharged with hypocrisy and false piety.

Hotbed of intrigue

Dr Shaariibuu Setev, father of the murdered girl

With such colossal amounts of money involved, Umno Baru qualifies as a hotbed of intrigue. Parry and thrust, bribery and threat, playing one faction against another – these are par for the course in our benighted political milieu. Nobody wants to risk losing everything, so marriages of convenience, cynical pragmatism, and political trade-offs become the norm. Who cares about the truth? It’s all a matter of perception anyhow, and that’s where the professional spin-doctors come in. Who cares about justice? It can be bought and sold if you have deep pockets.

Umno Baru has sunk up to its tall songkok in a quagmire of deceit and a conspiracy of silence. While some may be happy to see Najib and Rosmah brought down and taken off the game board, there are others who fear losing power completely in the event of an ugly leadership tussle. They would rather serve a tainted leader who can offer them perks – than a clean one who might immediately sack them for incompetence and greed.

A nation that closes its eye to cold-blooded murder

In happier days: Altantuya with her firstborn

And so, eleven years after her cruel and unnecessary death at the hands of ruthless mobsters posing as the government of Malaysia, Altantuya Shaariibuu’s ghost has yet to be appeased. The deafening silence surrounding this nightmarish episode reveals a conspiracy at the highest levels of power – and the entire Barisan Nasional federal government is, in fact, guilty of complicity in first-degree murder.

Since the government is supposed to represent the whole nation, every Malaysian will suffer the same curse – until we reclaim our collective conscience and our pride as citizens of a nation gone horribly wrong. Is that what we deserve after 60 years of nationhood – to be seen as a gigantic crime syndicate of congenital liars, hypocrites, thieves, rapists, and murderers?

[From Malaysia Chronicle, 28 October 2013. First posted 13 January 2014, reposted 18 October 2014 & 11 August 2015]

"ANWAR GAVE HOPE TO THE NATION" ~ AMBIGA SREENEVASAN

By Alyaa Azhar | Malaysiakini

It is important for everybody to remember what Anwar Ibrahim - incarcerated for the second time, this time on a second sodomy charge - has gone through in the last 17 years.

In her review of the book titled The Prosecution of Anwar Ibrahim: The Final Play, prominent lawyer-cum-activist Ambiga Sreenevasan read a passage, quoting the vivid moments when Anwar suffered severe beatings during the first sodomy charge against him.

"He was boxed on his temple, hit on his neck… He said he was handcuffed and blindfolded and savagely kicked and punched.

"Some junior police officers helped him. Anwar said without their help, he might have died.

"I read that passage; I hope it didn't upset you," Ambiga said, looking at Anwar's wife, parliamentary Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who was in the audience at the launch of the new book by Australian criminal lawyer and Queen's Counsel Mark Trowell.

For the audience at the event held at the Royal Selangor Club last night, it was indeed a jolt back to a dark moment in Malaysia's 'Reformasi' period of 1998.

"We forget too quickly that he suffered in so many ways; and the manner in which he was treated would have cowed anyone else.

"He spent six years in prison on a corruption charge. Corruption, that's a joke, how small (in magnitude), considering the kind of corruption we are facing right now. How many years do they deserve? I don't know how many hundreds of years (to be proportional to the) RM2.6 billion," Ambiga said, in reference to the amount of money deposited into Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's personal bank accounts.

'He continues to fight the system'

And 17 years after the influential leader was sacked from his deputy premiership, he is still languishing in prison, Ambiga noted.

"He came out and for several years made a difference. He was responsible for bringing several disparate parties together and made them work together in a coalition, giving hope to the nation.

"And for that, I think we must never forget the sacrifices made by him and his family.

"I highlighted that passage because I feel we must never forget how the system turned on one man and how that one man fought back and continues to fight back," she added.

Reminding the audience again of the prosecution faced by Anwar back in 1998, Ambiga said she had never dreamed that the people would be treated to front pages of newspapers giving detailed descriptions of sodomy.

"That trial robbed the nation of its innocence. Nothing was sacred, the bounds of decency meant nothing.

"Can you imagine what this did to the psyche of our children; and what about the psyche of our nation?

"It destroyed something, this trial that took place. These prosecutions should never have been brought," Ambiga stressed.

Power abusers may one day be the victims

Ambiga also had a warning for those who condoned or perpetrated the abuse of any of the country's institutions or their powers.

"They will do well to remember that they, too, may one day become the victims. We have seen it happen.

"In other words, you create a monster, tomorrow it may gobble you up," she cautioned.

The 376-page book by Trowell recounts both Anwar's first sodomy case as well as his second. It also describes the acquittal of the second sodomy charge, as well as the sentence by the Court of Appeal which overturned that decision last year.

The guilty verdict was upheld on Feb 10 this year by the Federal Court and the PKR de facto leader is currently serving his five-year jail sentence at the Sungai Buloh Prison.

[Reproduced from Malaysiakini as a community service]

Message to the corrupt from José Ugaz: "Your days of impunity are numbered!"

In the heart of the administrative capital, Transparency International chief Jose Ugaz zooms in on the RM2.6 billion controversy. Below is his full speech delivered at the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC).

Let me first thank the IACC for bringing so many people together as part of our great global movement to tackle corruption.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for hosting the conference with the IACC.

And the Malaysian people for welcoming us to their beautiful country at these momentous time.

This week Malaysia celebrated Merdeka – its independence from colonial rule and freedom from oppression.

Independence and freedom. The building blocks of a fair and just society.

All countries face challenges, especially new countries, and I looked back at some of the statements from the founding father of the nation, (Tunku) Abdul Rahman, made at the time of independence in 1957.

There were two words that he used that stood out for me – honesty and integrity.

That is what brings us together in the fight against corruption. Honesty and integrity.

We have seen what this means to people all over the world in recent weeks.

In Brazil.

In Honduras.

In Guatemala.

In Iraq.

In Malaysia.

Hundreds of thousands of people are sending a message to the corrupt. Your days of impunity are numbered.

That is a reason why we are here. But we have a struggle in front of us.

In too many countries the basic rights to freedom of speech and freedom of association are being eroded or taken away. It is hard to fight corruption without those rights.

Most insidious of all is political corruption. The twisting and distorting of the law by governments plagued by cronyism and captured by special interests.

In Kuwait, our chapter was taken over by a government appointed board. In Tunisia, our activists were threatened with legal action for criticizing laws that would set the corrupt free. In Russia, civil society organisations are being placed on a register of Foreign Agents – the first moves that could attempt to close down the work of anti-corruption fighters in that country.

Those with integrity removed.

Secret deals.

Cronies appointed.

Violations of human rights

This feeds what we call grand corruption because it creates a climate where corruption flourishes and impunity protects the powerful.

We are in a global world and illicit money can be moved in a single keystroke. The oligarchs of corruption can also move freely without legal consequences, flaunting their five-star lifestyle, buying their properties in London, the south of France and Kenya.

That is what we mean by impunity.

Let me give you one example. The former president of Ukraine – Viktor Yanukovych. When he finally fled, the people of Ukraine discovered that their money had been spent on a mansion with a zoo and a full size Spanish galleon ship.

What was revealed was a chain of shell companies in Vienna, London and Liechtenstein that concealed the vast wealth he was stealing from the country. Ukraine’s chief prosecutor has said that there is evidence that at least US$350 million has been stolen…It could be much more.

He and too many corrupt politicians and business people use shell companies to conceal their money. That is why we will talk at length at this conference about the need for public registers of beneficial ownership.

It is collective action that can challenge impunity.

In France, after a campaign our chapter, 300 million Euros of assets stolen by the former President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea were frozen by the courts.

Now in Guatemala, after a mass campaign, the former vice-president is in jail awaiting trial accused of conspiracy and bribery and yesterday the immunity from prosecution of the president was removed and a judicial order was released so he cannot leave the country.

And in Brazil, where one million people took to the streets for the Petrobas scandal has seen five politicians arrested and criminal cases brought against 13 companies, including the head of the world’s largest construction company. And our movement is now working across seven South American countries to uncover how far the Petrobas scandal has spread, while politicians and heads of these companies have been arrested.

The web of corruption shows very clearly that this is not confined to developing countries. Many companies in Europe and the United States are being investigated for bribery.

Fighting against corruption takes courage.

We should pause at this moment and remember those who paid a terrible price for speaking out against corruption.

Danilo Lopez and Frederico Salazar, two courageous journalists were murdered in broad daylight in Guatemala. For more than a decade, Lopez had exposed corruption and the misuse of public funds by corrupt politicians. And a month and a half ago an anti-corruption activist was killed in Mexico.

This year, 24 journalists around the world who have exposed corruption and human rights abuses have been killed. 24.

In Azerbaijan, as we meet, investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova was sentenced yesterday to seven and half years for “economic crimes.” These are typical of the bogus charges brought by governments to shut down those who speak out against corruption.

Khadija exposed how the government awarded the rights to a lucrative gold field to the president’s family. In a statement she just said: “I might be in prison, but the work will continue.”

That is the work that everyone in this conference is dedicated to take forward.

Press freedom and freedom of expression are the pillars of democratic societies and journalists must be able to work without fear. We stand with them.

Our movement has shown that it can fight back.

In Cameroon, Paul Kingue was freed from prison after a sustained campaign by local and international groups.

His crime? Exposing a French-owned banana producer for tax fraud.

In Angola, the most serious charges against Rafael Marques de Morais were dropped after a sustained international campaign.

His crime? A book exposing corruption and torture in Angola. For that he could have faced nine years in prison. Just for writing a book.

There are many more activists around the world and many are here present in this conference. Let me pay tribute to you, for your courage, for your honesty, for your integrity.

Change can and does happen.

Why are we so passionate about the change we want to see?

We share many values. We want to see an end to poverty, we want all children to be able to go to school. We want people to have access to healthcare and live in decent homes.

That is why we are here and why we fight corruption.

The private jet that is paid for by the school that is not built. The luxury house that is paid for by those who cannot get the medicine they need. The yacht paid for by the homeless.

How do we change that? There is much we know, and much you will debate this week.

No one can be in Malaysia and not be aware of the corruption allegations of recent months and how damaging they are to the country. There is a corruption crisis here.

As a global anti-corruption movement it is our role to ask questions, to challenge those who abuse their power, to champion those who cannot speak and to engage with those who sincerely wish to change.

Let us recall those two words – honesty and integrity.

What does that mean for Malaysia? The government has taken measures and initiatives to tackle corruption. We will surely hear that from the minister.

We want to see more progress but that cannot happen while there are unanswered questions about the US$700 million that made its way into the prime minister’s personal bank account.

In recent weeks, we have seen the attorney-general who was critical of the government suddenly replaced, the 1MDB task force suspended, investigators at the anti-corruption commission arrested or transferred, and newspapers suspended for reporting on the matter.

These are not the actions of a government that is fighting corruption.

We may well hear promises of reform. That is not what is needed at this time. And promises alone will not restore confidence and trust.

There are two questions that need to be answered:

Who paid the money and why?

Where did it go?

One man could answer those questions.

If that does not happen then only a fully independent investigation, free from political interference, can uncover the truth.

Until that happens, no claim from the government on anti-corruption will be credible.

I stand here today with you and say this is what the people want from government – honesty and integrity.

Our movement does not stand alone. We have common cause with all who speak up against those that would seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the people.

We are global.

We have a powerful voice.

We are together against corruption.

This conference will last three days, but our work will continue each and every day both in Malaysia and throughout the world.
____________________________________________________________

Transparency International president José Ugaz is a Peruvian jurist. He served as Ad-Hoc Attorney of Peru for the highest profile criminal cases in recent Peruvian history, involving the investigation of former President Fujimori and his chief of intelligence.

5:56PM Sept 2, 2015 | Malaysiakini

Clare Rewcastle Brown: "Pissed off rich Malaysian politicians are ruthless"

Clare Rewcastle-Brown. This name ranks high on the Najib administration's list of most despised individuals, given the slew of damaging articles on 1MDB in her website Sarawak Report.

In an interview with Esquire magazine published yesterday, the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown shares what she has learned about Malaysian politicians.

"If you piss off rich Malaysians in positions of political power, they are ruthless and unscrupulous in what they are prepared to do to get their own back.

"I've had PR outfits, lawyers, computer hackers and radio-jamming professionals thrown at me, but they've shot themselves in the foot.

"They've made me into a character I wouldn't have been if they hadn't reacted so angrily and expensively. They created my Wikipedia site, for god's sake," she said.

The 56-year-old mother of two, who was born in Sarawak and spent her early childhood there, denies she is driven by a nefarious agenda, though her detractors appear to be hell-bent on creating such an impression.

"They're always trying to make one out about me, but actually, I'm just a dreadful old do-gooder who's got a bit between my teeth," added the London-based journalist.

Blatant corruption in Malaysia

Quizzed on the issue of corruption, Rewcastle-Brown said the practice is "blatant" in Malaysia.

"You don't have to do that much research to see it. They got lazy and weren't bothering to cover it up.

"They're trying harder now, but you know, there was 30 years of fairly blatant corruption that I just started covering, and I guess nobody else was," she added.

Touching on 1MDB and Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Rewcastle-Brown said the former prime minister is genuinely furious over what has happened.

"The 1MDB debacle is not only a fairly blatant heist on public funds, but also not very well done - and, you know, I think Mahathir is probably annoyed on both fronts," she added with laughter.

She also conceded that investigative journalists live in dread of committing errors with regard to their articles.

"You try to get it right on the big things, but you can often get it wrong on the little things. It's also easier to make mistakes in an environment like Malaysia, where there's so little transparency.

"You're often dealing with little bits of information that you're trying to piece together because you're not getting the information you should. But touch wood, I don't think I've made any clangers so far on the 1MDB story," she said.

No clangers on 1MDB

The key thing, she stressed, is to be honest and not publish something without evidence.

"I think if you've seen something that's a crime, you shouldn't just report it as if you have no opinion of it.

"Also, as an investigative journalist, you don't publish something unless you've caught somebody out doing something naughty; and once you do, you've got a certain amount of licence to give him a hard time.

"That's the job. I'm not trying to be objective, but I'm honest about what I say, and I'm critical where I think it's deserved," she said.

Rewcastle-Brown also spoke about her brother-in-law (right), saying he was one of the reasons she had kept her identity under wraps for a certain period.

"One of the reasons I kept my identity secret for as long as I could was because I didn't want to get him involved, particularly when he was still in office.

"But when he stepped down (as prime minister), I was bolder, and actually, he was really encouraging.

"When I started getting death threats, he said, 'Look, you should just say who you are and what you're doing because that's the best way to deal with them'," she added.

[Cloned from Malaysiakini as a public service.]

FLASHBACK TO JUNE 2007: The infamous Mongolian murder trial

Altantuya's letter: Razak wants me dead

By Soon Li Tsin | Malaysiakini                                                                                           
28 June 2007

Murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu had written an ominous letter before her death that she believed her ex-lover, political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, wanted to kill her.

The undated letter, written before she disappeared, was addressed to the 'Malaysian government or police or Embassy of Mongolia or newspapers'. 

The letter, which was revealed by the prosecution team, took the packed courtroom by surprise and was read out by the deceased's cousin Burmaa Oyunchimeg in the Shah Alam High Court today.

Burmaa, 26, who is also known as Amy, said she found the two-page letter in a white Guess bag among other belongings left behind by Altantuya in the hotel on Nov 20.

In the hand-written letter bearing Hotel Malaya's letterhead, Altantuya said in poor English that she was going to commit suicide before Razak's private investigator P Balasubramaniam and his assistant K Suras Kumar get to her.

Earlier in the trial, the murdered woman's two Mongolian companions - Namiraa Gerelmaa and Uuriintuya Gal Ochir - hadtestified that Balasubramaniam and Suras had threatened to kill them and throw them 'out of the window'.

"And before I write (this) letter I'll (kill) myself, because I have no choice, he (Altantuya's PI Ang Chong Beng) told (me) that they (Bala and Suras) have my letters so they kill me and say (it was) suicide," she wrote.

In the letter, she had expressed her fear over the threats from the duo and described how they have been harassing her at 5am in Hotel Malaya where she was staying.

"They have been following me for four to five days. Even my hotel where I staying, workers know."

She wrote that Razak had allegedly promised to help her when she was in Mongolia and that was why she came looking for him.

She called him her boyfriend but Ang testified yesterday that she said they were married.

In the letter, Altantuya also conceded it could have been a mistake to 'blackmail' the analyst and wrote, "Maybe I (was wrong) to have bothered and blackmailed him.

"But if he didn't promise me, I would (have) never come from far away to Malaysia," she wrote in black ink.

Altantuya disclosed that she did ask Razak for money but she had her own reasons.

"Mr Razak Baginda promise to help me when I was in Mongolia. That's why I came to see him and for help but he trying to kill me.

"I'm nice person. I can't hurt someone but (Razak) is a powerful person, he (has) money (and) he (has) connection (to the) police (and the) government," she stated.

Altantuya also revealed that she had gone to his residence in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur, on several occasions and knew that he was married and had a daughter named Rowena.

Like a couple 
Earlier on, Burmaa told the court that she had met Razak on three occasions since 2004 in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore.

"Altantuya was always there with him," she answered in Mongolian and translated through by her interpreter, Enkhjargal Tsetsgee.

Asked by DPP Manoj Kurup to describe how they looked when they were together, Burma said: "They looked like boyfriend and girlfriend."

Burmaa (right), who studied English in Hong Kong, told the court that Altantuya would visit her and they had a very close relationship.

She said that Razak would contact her mobile phone to speak to Altantuya when she was in Hong Kong.

Burmaa also revealed that she had received a text message from Razak last year saying: "Amy, can you let Altantuya know I don't want to see her again."

"I told Altantuya about it but she said there was a little misunderstanding and told me that she would go to Malaysia, meet Razak and sort it out," Burmaa said.

The management graduate said she knew Razak had sent Altantuya money because she was asked to relay information of the transfer of some money through an agency by the former to the latter.

"He told me 'the reason I called you is because I've transferred money to Altantuya by Western Union. I have a reference number so I'll let you know and you can tell her'," she testified.

Manoj then proceeded to cross-examine Burmaa about the letter and said there were another two documents allegedly bearing Altantuya's signature for her to identify.

Judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin then broke the session for lunch and told Manoj to resume his questioning at 2.15pm.

Razak has been charged with abetting the murder of the 28-year-old Mongolian national.

Two police officers - chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35 - are charged with the murder.

Prosecutors allege that Abdul Razak and Altantuya met in 2004 and began a whirlwind affair, during which he gave her money.

After they broke up a year later, he allegedly continued to give her money whenever she demanded it. But the payments stopped last year, prompting her to become dissatisfied and travel to Malaysia in October, the prosecution said.

Prosecutors say Abdul Razak planned her killing and ordered two police officers - members of a special unit charged with protecting the country's leaders - to carry it out.

Altantuya was killed by "probable blast-related" injuries in a clearing in Shah Alam after she was driven away from outside Abdul Razak's house in mid-October.

Abdul Razak is close to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, who has vehemently denied any involvement in the case, which is seen by observers as a test of Malaysia's judicial and political integrity.

The high profile trial continues tomorrow with a new witness.

ALTANTUYA ASIDE... (reprise)

Names change... Syed Hamid Albar is now running a gigantic scam called SPAD... Musa Hassan stepped down in September 2012 and fearing a Pakatan Rakyat takeover, began making conciliatory noises, trying to hedge his bets, even threatening to expose "Altantuya's real murderer" in Bangkok... his successor Khalid Abu Bakar, turned out to be 10 times worse... the shituation remains the same, only it's costing us 100 times more because of inflation!

Malaysiakini | 31 March 2009

Meanwhile in a related development, the police chief issued a warning to all political parties not to incite, provoke or utter words that are deemed to be seditious.

Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan also said that they must avoid making unfounded and baseless allegations on their opponents or the party they represented.

"Police will be monitoring all political ceramah and will record them. We urge everyone including supporters not to provoke or taunt anyone during their campaigns," he said in a statement today.

Musa also added that the police would beef up security in all three by-election spots to prevent untoward incidents.

Even if Altantuya Shaariibuu never existed... and therefore never met Najib Abdul Razak or Abdul Razak Baginda... never demanded USD500,000 for keeping mum about backroom negotiations she was privy to over the purchase of three submarines for the Malaysian Navy in 2005... and therefore was never abducted on the evening of 19 October 2006 by police officers in front of eyewitnesses, toyed with like a trapped mouse, shot twice in the head and then blown to smithereens with C4 military-grade explosives... that still does not immunize the erstwhile defence minister from being investigated for corruption of the highest order.

Kickbacks, okay, commissions amounting to hundreds of millions of ringgit cannot be cavalierly swept under the Umno carpet.

What about the PSC Naval Dockyard fiasco involving billions in inexplicable losses? As defence minister at the time, Najib Razak should have been immediately sacked for gross mismanagement. This extraordinary debacle was never investigated and no heads were seen to roll. Amin Shah, the Umno crony responsible for the grotesque budget overruns, reportedly fled the country. He ought to be doing time for embezzlement or criminal breach of contract.

Instead, against the wishes of more than 90% of the electorate, Najib Razak is on the verge of being anointed by Umno as Malaysia's sixth prime minister. Correction: CRIME minister!

Where got meaning, I ask you?

As for Musa Hassan's outrageous warning...

HOW DARE YOU DICTATE TO THE RAKYAT, YOUR EMPLOYERS?

You, sir, are essentially the nation's Chief Security Guard. We, the rakyat, pay your salary to safeguard our property and our public spaces. We do not take instructions from our security guards, do you understand? Of late, your personnel have behaved so despicably you deserve not only to be IMMEDIATELY SACKED... but thoroughly investigated for all your alleged misdeeds since 1998. Musa Hassan, I hold you personally responsible for the absolute and utter degradation of the Malaysian police, whose reputation for criminal misbehavior has sunk far below that of the most vicious street gang.

You can make people fear you... but you can't make them respect or trust you. I know you see yourself as a tough guy, tougher than even Rahim Noor. However, less than a year ago you underwent heart bypass surgery. Have you been listening to your heart? I guess not! Instead, you choose to obey your criminal masters in Umno. You have joined forces with the crime minister - the biggest desperado in the country - and you are waging war against the rakyat. Do you HONESTLY believe you are serving your goddam bangsa dan agama? Musa Hassan, I urge you to repent and voluntarily step down. I'm sure the rakyat will find it in their hearts to forgive you and let you spend the rest of your days in peace, making amends.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics began to crumble and disintegrate into dozens of semi-autonomous countries. Russia came under the control of powerful Mafia-style crime syndicates and renegade generals. It's a miracle the country still exists. And look at the tragedy that befell Zimbabwe when that hideous monster Robert Mugabe rose to power... yes, I'm talking about Mahathir's bosom buddy, birds of a feather!

We don't want this to happen to our beloved Malaysia. But it appears that the crime syndicates, masquerading as Captains of Industry and the corporate elite, are determined to suffocate our newborn democracy in its crib - so that they can continue with impunity their 50-year rape and pillage of the nation's wealth. Not only are you liars, hypocrites, thieves and murderers... you are about to commit infanticide!

I regard it as my moral duty to thwart your evil designs. Anyone else care to join me?


[First published 1 April 2009, reproduced 1 April 2012 as a public service announcement in view of this headline]

Shaariibuu Setev, father of murdered Mongolian beauty Altantuya, wants to help connect the dots...

“I met her for the last time before she left for Malaysia and I asked her what was her travel purpose.  She showed me a picture of her, Najib Tun Razak and (political advisor) Abdul Razak Baginda which was taken in Paris. She pointed to Najib in the picture and told me she had something to decide with him. I told her that it was not worth it but she went anyway.” 


[Source: FreeMalaysiaToday. First posted 11 April 2012]

English translation of Mystery Letter from MACC Officers (repost)

Plaza Masalam, headquarters of MACC Selangor

With thanks to Airkosong.com and Malaysia Today
CORRUPT PRACTICES, MISCONDUCT AND ABUSE OF POWER BY SENIOR OFFICER OF MACC SELANGOR

Respectfully, we would like to refer to the matter above.

We, officers in MACC, feel duty-bound to expose the wrongdoing and corrupt practices by a senior officer of MACC – Deputy Director (DD) of MACC Selangor, PKPj I Hishamuddin Bin Hashim. He is involved with the case of Teoh Beng Hock and a bungalow house at Section 17, Shah Alam, owned by Dato’ Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Bin Toyo.

2. For the information of YBhg Tan Sri/Dato/Tuan/Puan, DD is indeed involved directly with the investigation of misappropriation cases involving Selangor exco YB Ean (Adun Seri Kembangan). DD’s involvement is not only at the level of official instruction, but he actually instructed specifically MACC officers to try to uncover any possible wrongdoings by the current Selangor state government. He acted so because of his collaboration with Khir Toyo to bring down the Selangor state government. His overzealous approach resulted in the death of Teoh Beng Hock. There are a few questions arising from the circumstances of Teoh Beng Hock’s death that concern us MACC officers. We all suspect DD to be responsible for the death of Teoh Beng Hock based on the following facts:


i) DD has instructed all MACC officers involved in the operation not to implicate his direct involvement in the case. In fact, he is the one giving direct orders in the operation and other operations in MACC Selangor. Actually he fears his involvement will compromise his conspiracy with Khir Toyo.

ii) The chemistry department has detected finger prints and DNA traces of a mysterious male at the two frontal sides of Teoh Beng Hock’s waist belt. According to our knowledge, DD has his own unique interrogation technique, i.e., he would hold the belt of the person under interrogation, lift him/her a few times and shake him/her.

iii) The process to extract DNA samples from MACC Selangor officers was conducted in two sessions. In the first session, DD ran away to avoid having his sample taken. However, DD was said to have given his DNA sample in the second session under dubious circumstances, i.e., he gave his sample in his room while all other MACC officers, including the MACC Director, gave their samples in the meeting room together openly. Why did DD give his DNA sample behind closed doors? Does the sample given by him belong to him? We the MACC officers are curious because none of the DNA samples collected matches that of the mysterious male. We suggest that DNA sample of DD be taken again under the watchful eyes of trustworthy people.

iv) We have received information that DD has instructed his subordinates to erase fingerprints found at the window where Teoh fell to his death. This is proven as the police have failed to find any traces of fingerprints, new or old, at that window. The question is, why did DD give that instruction?

v) Based on the information we obtained, we suspect DD did not punch out when he left office on 16 July 2009 at 6.10am. This is crucial because it would be evidence that DD was the last person to have seen Teoh. The question is, why did he not punch out when he usually does so? For the record, he is a person who pays attention to his punch card.


3. For the information of YBhg Tan Sri/Dato/Tuan/Puan, DD is very influential in the investigation operations in Selangor, or even the whole Malaysia. In MACC Selangor alone, he is the most important person to decide whether or not a case is to be prosecuted, even though such power is supposed to be in the hand of the Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP). Decisions made by him favour his own interests or his cronies’. It is no surprise that he has been helming the investigation unit of ACA/MACC Selangor for more than ten years, i.e., since the Selangor state government under Barisan Nasional (Khir Toyo) and until the current Selangor state government. He has been promoted in quick succession from Grade 41 to Grade 54 within 16 years without reassignment and remained in MACC Selangor until now. According to ACA/MACC department policy, an officer who has been promoted or served for more than 5 years in a state will be reassigned to another location to prevent him from being involved in local corruption issues. One of the reasons that he has not been reassigned elsewhere is that he has been tasked to “take care” of interests of Dato’s Seri Khir Toyo in Selangor. Because of this, to reciprocate, Khir Toyo has to “take care” of DD’s interests in Selangor.

4. Due to his comfortable position in ACA/MACC Selangor from then till now, he has been involved with various corrupt acts and abuse of power. Among the corrupt acts and abuse of power by DD that we have detected/investigated are as follows:

i) Closing the case of Khir Toyo involving approval of a road construction project, which is the most expensive boundary spanning link at Sekinchan, for a distance of 20.5km, at a price of RM92.5 million to the contractor who was almost blacklisted – Meram Holdings. According to JKR assessment, the cost of the road should not exceed RM50 million. The subcontractor running the project is Cabaran Wangsa, owned by Pua Kim An, who was once the landlord of Khir, while the other director of the company, Ahmad Tarmizi Tajjeury, is Khir’s crony, and he received 100 acres of land giving him a profit of RM20 million.

ii) In possession of assets beyond his means, including:

a. Owns a few houses for rental, including one two-storey luxurious terrace house which was purchased at a very attractive price from Pemaju Kumpulan Lebar Daun Development Sdn Bhd, as a result of closing the case of investigation against Group Executive Chairman, Dato' Noor Azman @ Noor Hizam bin Mohd Nurdin. This case was investigated by ACA Selangor a few years ago along with a few other houses he owned. As a smokescreen to the public and his subordinates, he moved to the government quarters at Kg. Atap, Kuala Lumpur.


b. Owns a Petronas petrol station located at the left side of Federal Highway at Km 8.6 – Km 8.7, Section 1, Federal Highway, Shah Alam 40000 Selangor (near the Melati roundabout, in the direction of Klang from Shah Alam), registered under the name of his elder brother. The petrol station has just started operation this year (2009), and it is built on part of the land of a Chinese cemetery. He managed to obtain the land to build the petrol station as a result of his power as well as due to the Khir Toyo administration in Selangor.

c. Owns a few plots of land around Shah Alam, where one of them is believed to be beside the new SACC Mall, registered under the name of the wife of a driver in MACC Selangor, Abdullah b Azim, she being a full-time housewife in her late 30s.

iii) Caught in adultery with a junior officer of the rank of Investigator called Nor Azlina bt Mustafa beside Shah Alam Lake in early 2009 by two police officers. He in turn showed his authority card and informed the police officers that he and the Investigator were in an operation and hence let off by the police. After a few intimate incidents with the Investigator, the affair is known by many, including his wife. The action taken by the department is to reassign the Investigator to MACC HQ at Putrajaya. This action is not effective as Azlina is still seen with DD at the Selangor office.

5. This letter was writen to uphold integrity and challenge injustice, in the MACC specifically and Malaysia as a whole. We at the MACC can no longer stand to observe this behaviour which is approved by higher-ups. We at the MACC have exhausted our options in looking for a department/institution/NGO which can bring forward this issue so that appropriate action can be taken.

6. We the officers in MACC are greatly appreciative and thankful to you all for bringing up this matter to the people and the relevant authorities so that there will be an organisation/NGO that can take the appropriate action or independent investigation until the matter can be brought to the cabinet. The matter is very important because it involves the integrity of an officer serving in a department charged with enforcing law on crimes related to human integrity. DD is now working very hard by instructing his subordinates to do a witch-hunt on PKR which governs Selangor state now, with the hope that PKR will fall in Selangor and his secrets will be safe. For your information, DD is fearful whenever news of Dato’ Seri Khir Toyo appears in the media and he is fearful that Khir’s problems will expose his own.


7. Our hope is, there will be a party courageous enough to give voice to our information herein, and that our action attracts the attention of the highest authority so that just action can be taken against him. We ourselves do not have the power of taking action against him because he has “cable” (connections) to the top.

8. The cooperation of YBhg Tan Sri/Dato/Tuan/Puan is very much appreciated and hopefully your action will bring out more information exposing people without integrity so that MACC and its officers can be cleared of corruption.

Thank you very much.

“IN SERVICE OF MACC/OUR BELOVED COUNTRY”

We who are obedient servants,
MACC Officers

[First posted 22 August 2009]