Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor says people will know that Suaram’s complaint was a “manipulation” engineered by the opposition parties
FORMER close associates of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim continue to pile pressure on him and his allies over their attempt to link the country's purchase of Scorpene submarines with the murder case of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Anwar's former political secretary Senator Ezam Mohd Nor yesterday queried whether his former boss and other opposition leaders were aware that there was a "time gap" between the purchase of the submarines in 2002 and the first time that political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda met Altantuya in 2004.
Another of Anwar's former close friend, Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim, who is the independent member of parliament of Bayan Baru, had on Friday posed a similar question to opposition leaders.
Abdul Razak was initially charged with abetting two Special Action Squad members in the Altantuya murder case in 2006, but the High Court ruled that there was no prima facie case against him.
Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, were however found guilty and sentenced to death for the murder.
In an affidavit dated Jan 5, 2007, Abdul Razak admitted having a relationship with Altantuya, whom he first met in November 2004.
"Following the statement by Datuk Zulkifli Nordin on the attempt to fabricate evidence to link the Altantuya case and the purchase of the Scorpene submarines, I call on Anwar to explain whether he is aware of two important facts, which are that the purchase of the Scorpene submarines was made in 2002 while Abdul Razak had only met with Altantuya in 2004," said Ezam.
Zulkifli, who is a former lawyer and confidant of Anwar and now the Kulim-Bandar Baru Independent member of parliament had alleged at the Dewan Rakyat during a debate, that Anwar had asked him to "create, fabricate evidence" implicating Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the murder case, even after he insisted that there was no such evidence.
Zulkifli had represented Azilah at the start of the Altantuya murder case, but withdrew later on.
"With these facts, the opposition parties or Suaram (Suara Rakyat Malaysia) will definitely fail in their efforts to link the Altantuya case with the purchase of the Scorpene submarines due to the existence of the time gap," said Ezam. "Their malicious intent should therefore not be well received by the people."
Non-governmental organisation Suaram, which many considered as having close ties with the opposition parties had filed a complaint in a French court in November 2009 over Malaysia's purchase of the submarines.
Ezam stressed that the people will know that Suaram's complaint was a "manipulation" engineered by opposition parties.
