Fashion model Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28, was found dead in Selangor, Malaysia on Monday, according to a report in the Malaysian newspaper The Star. “The police believe she was shot twice in the head and her body blown into pieces. It is understood that C4 explosives, used in demolition work, were used to blow up her body in an effort to destroy evidence,” The Star reported.
A Malaysian political analyst, a man aged around 40, was arrested by the local police in his office in Ampang on charges of murder on Tuesday. “Whoever is involved will be brought to book regardless of his stature,” said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan. “I am also going to find out how and who authorized the issuance of the explosives used in the murder,” he said. The arrested man works for a private think-tank, which conducts research and prints publications on politics, economics, defense and international relations. The Mongolian Embassy in Bangkok has instructed its honorary consul in Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi, to follow up on the case.
“Syed Abdul Rahman informed us about the murder of a woman believed to be our citizen. We don’t have much information regarding the case at this moment and are waiting for more details from him,” the embassy official told The Star.
Altantuya Shaariibuu went missing about three weeks ago. The Malaysian media report that information provided by her sister and cousin led to the arrest of three police officers – a chief inspector, a woman detective and a corporal of the local special force unit. Her sister and cousin lodged police reports when Altantuya did not return to her hotel, Hotel Malaya, on October 19.
Altantuya is said to have met the political analyst when he visited Mongolia about two years ago. Their relationship led to a baby born in Mongolia 16 months ago. She came to Malaysia to trace the man and to ask him for financial support for the baby’s medical treatment. She managed to find out where he lived but failed in her attempt to meet him until October 19 when she was said to have received a telephone call to meet him at his house. She was said to have called her sister and cousin when she had reached the analyst’s house.
After this and before she could enter the house, she was seized by several men, pushed into a car and driven away. Her sister and cousin, who last heard from her that night, became worried and sought the help of the Mongolian Embassy in Bangkok after they were told that there was no embassy in Malaysia.
However, when they called Bangkok they were referred to the honorary Mongolian consul. They managed to contact the consul-general who immediately helped them lodge reports at the Dang Wangi and Travers police stations. Malaysian Bernama news agency said on Wednesday that the magistrate’s court extended the remand order on two police officers and the political analyst in connection with the murder.
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