Former private investigator P Balasubramaniam has hit back at the government for closing the case on his double statutory declarations.

In an open letter to attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail sent to Malaysiakini today, Balasubramaniam said that he was “surprised” that despite having conceded to signing a false statutory declaration, the police could not find evidence of any wrongdoing.

NONE “The police, I believe, have investigated the circumstances surrounding the making of these two statutory declarations under section 199 of the Penal Code, for an offence which carries a sentence of three years’ imprisonment and a fine. This is not a trivial offence.

“It has therefore come as a great surprise to me to discover that you have been unable to decipher any wrongdoing from the enormous amount of evidence the police must have been able to accumulate from their investigations,” he said.

Insisting that his second statutory declaration was false, he urged the authorities to reopen the case.

“The first one was entirely truthful. The second one was a complete pack of lies. I admit this,” he said.

lingam tape panel meeting 031007 abdul gani patail He also challenged the attorney-general to charge him for making a false statement in the second statutory declaration.

“I do however reserve the right to plead not guilty to the charge as I believe I have a very good defence,” said Balasubramaniam.

“I will be more than happy to return to Malaysia to defend myself but you will have to ensure that my safety is guaranteed as there are some people who would prefer that I was not around,” he said.

Private eye hired by Razak Baginda

Balasubramaniam - better known as PI Bala - became a household name when it was revealed at the murder trial of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu that he was the private investigator hired by one of the accused, former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda ( below ).

razak baginda acquitted 311008 10 Balasubramaniam had, in his first statutory declaration (SD) filed on July 1, 2008, made explosive claims implicating then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, in the gristly murder.

However a day later, he retracted his SD in a second SD, claiming that he had signed the first one under duress.

Balasubramaniam had since fled the country. However, from exile, he had made another about-turn - this time claiming the second SD was false.

After months of investigations on the part of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney-General’s chambers, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz announced in Parliament on Wednesday that the case was closed .

PI Bala's open letter to AG Gani Patail

Why AG is eager to close the books