By LOURDES CHARLES and ANDREW SAGAYAM, The Star
Wednesday July 9, 2008
KUALA LUMPUR: Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, who disappeared with his wife and three children last Friday, has been located.
Sources said police here with the help of Interpol traced his whereabouts to an Asean country but declined to name it or say when he would be brought back.
CID Director Comm Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin confirmed this but declined to reveal details.
It is learnt that the private investigator is fine and left the country on his own accord, contrary to reports and rumours that police were behind his sudden disappearance.
Last Thursday, Balasubramaniam rocked the nation with a statutory declaration alleging that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had an affair with murdered Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. He was then represented by lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu.
However, in a press conference called less than 24 hours later, he made a second statutory declaration retracting all those allegations. He even appeared with a new lawyer.
Immediately after the press conference, he left with that lawyer and was never seen or heard by anyone.
His nephew and his original team of lawyers lodged police reports over his disappearance as well as his sudden decision to retract his first statutory declaration.
During a candlelight vigil in Brickfields here last night, R. Kumaresan said his uncle had contacted him on the phone saying that he and his family were safe but would not reveal his whereabouts.
“My uncle called me at 11.30pm on Monday and told me that he was okay and passed the phone to my auntie who also said they were fine.
“But when I repeatedly asked them where they were, my uncle told me that they could not talk freely and ended the call,??? he said.