The Malaysian Anti-Corruption (MACC) will not arrest private investigator P Balasubramaniam as it just wanted to record his statement to enable it to conclude investigations into the murderof a Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Its deputy chief commissioner (operations), Mohd Shukri Abdull said the MACC was willing to record Balasubramaniam's statement at any Malaysian foreign mission deemed suitable by the private investigator.

altantuya murder razak baginda case 180607 p balasubramaniam "If he wants his lawyer to accompany him when the statement is recorded, we will allow it," Mohd Shukri told reporters after attending an annual meeting between the MACC and the Brunei Darussalam Anti-Corruption Bureau (BDACB) today.

Mohd Shukri said the MACC had taken statements from other witnesses and if Balasubramaniam ( left ) remained elusive, the matter would be referred to the deputy public prosecutor.

Last year, Balasubramaniam had alleged that he been urged by the prime minister’s brother Nazim Razak and a carpet dealer to withdraw a damning July 2008 statutory declaration which drew a link between Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Mongolian national.

Balasubramaniam had then issued another statutory declaration which disclaimed the veracity of the first, and promptly left the country with his family.

Offered RM5 million

Last November, Balasubramaniam had surfaced with more allegations, this time in a series of interviews which were posted on popular video-sharing website YouTube.

Balasubramaniam claimed he had been offered RM5 million by Nazim to retract the first statutory declaration. Najib has since dismissed the allegations as ‘frivolous’.

mongolian woman bombed altantuya 081106 Following this, Balasubramaniam's lawyers had asked the MACC to investigate their client's claims.

In January, MACC head Abu Kassim Mohamed had said the agency is willing to meet Balasubramaniam to record his statements.

Meanwhile, MACC chief commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed said the cooperation between the MACC and the BDACB enabled them to cripple a syndicate involved in the smuggling of fuel in Brunei in March last year.

He said 33 people were arrested in a joint operation to cut down the fuel supply line which had flourished for 10 years.

– Bernama