Carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan has named the premier's younger brother, Mohd Nazim Abdul Razak, as the person who paid P Balasubramaniam in return for the former private eye signing his controversial second statutory declaration (SD).
"I affirm what was said earlier, that Datuk Nazim joined the meeting to facilitate whatever needed to be done. My involvement was just to get everyone together," Deepak told Malaysiakini in an interview yesterday.
He said he did this as a favour to the PM's wife, Rosmah Mansor, after receiving a call from her.
Balasubramaniam, who went public with the first SD on July 3, 2008, in which he linked Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu, claimed he was coerced to sign the second declaration to refute his earlier one.
The private investigator, who is now living in exile in India with his family, also claimed that he was paid off in cash later - with more money promised to him - after he agreed to sign the SD and relocate himself and his family out of the country.
According to Deepak, the money paid to Balasubramaniam came from "Datuk Nazim and his resources".
"Yes," he replied when asked again to confirm that the "Datuk Nazim" he mentioned was indeed Najib's brother.
Apparently promised RM5 million for his about-turn, Balasubramaniam said he only received RM750,000, in instalments, before the payments eventually stopped.
Malaysiakini had tried to contact the premier's younger sibling for his response, but to no avail.
A chance encounter between Nazim (left) and the news portal's journalists during Friday prayers at Masjid Negara in December 2009 yielded a curt "I have nothing to say" from the architect when he was asked about Balasubramaniam's allegations.
Nazim was visiting the grave of his father, second prime minister Abdul Razak, when approached by Malaysiakini.
His elder brother, the PM, had also similarly dismissed Balasubramaniam's allegations with two words - "frivolous statements".
Malaysiakini had two weeks prior to that sent a list of questions to Nazim's office but did not receive any response. Repeated attempts to call him and visit his office also proved futile.
'The curse of Altantuya'
Incidentally, Deepak had earlier denied having arranged the meeting between Nazim and Balasubramaniam at a popular shopping mall in Damansara, which he now confirmed.
The carpet trader said he felt the need to come clean as he believed "the curse of Altantuya" is on him.
Deepak, with red eyes, apologised for his constant, racking coughs, saying he was unwell and had been through a lot in the past month or so.
He also feared, he added, that "Altantuya's ghost is not resting in peace" and "is crying out for justice".
On his right arm hung about two centimetres of what seemed to be yellow and red prayer strings - the kind one gets from a temple for protection or when praying for favours from the Almighty.
His decision to go public followed what he described as attempts by those he had helped to "stifle" and "disrupt" his life in order to silence him for his part in Balasubramaniam's (right) second SD saga.
"I understand that in politics when the noise is too much, there is a cooling-off period, but here maybe, because of the nature (of our politicians), there is also the stifling. (It's) the stifling I cannot stand," he told Malaysiakini at the interview, the second in as many weeks.
"You don't stifle someone who has helped you."
No choice but to retaliate
Deepak described what he alleged as stifling to be contracts cancelled, businesses delayed, raids on his companies by government agencies and direct harassment of him through intimidating SMSes and phone calls, all of which had him fearing for his safety.
"I am just a simple businessman. If you don't disturb me, I will not disturb you," lamented Deepak, warning that he has more information to release if the harassment against him continued.
He said he had evidence stashed overseas, with instructions to lawyers that these be made public in case anything untoward happened to him.
He was done with cowering in fear, Deepak said, since "they have already done everything imaginable" against him. As such, he felt that it was time for him to seek redress.
"You cannot molest someone you have already raped," he said, stressing that he had no choice but to retaliate.
"I have no ulterior motive," Deepak said, and he went on to plead that the enforcement agencies investigate all his claims and show the world that in Malaysia, no one - no matter how powerful he or she is - can get away with committing wrongdoings.
He also called upon government officers, politicians and cabinet ministers to no longer cringe in fear of "the two people", whom he only referred to as the "powerful couple".
"You cannot be afraid of any persons - if they are angels then maybe, but since they are just mere mortals, then you shouldn't be afraid."
Hazlan Zakaria
These cronies of politicians have so much money to throw around,maybe they are magicians to pluck out money from the air or maybe they can print money.No wonder,P Balasubramanian is hiding somewhere in the globe for he realizes that his enemy could easily hire people to cut off his head.Maybe Deepak should also be afraid of being poisoned like.
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