Top political analyst arrested! Explosive end to affair that turned sour

KUALA LUMPUR: The country was abuzz yesterday after a prominent political analyst was arrested in connection with the abduction and brutal murder of a Mongolian woman.

The New Straits Times understands that Attantuya Shariibu @ Aminah allegedly demanded US$500,000 (RM1.85 million) as payment after he signalled the end of their affair. She claimed that she had given birth to his child and threatened to go public if her demand was not met.



After checking and finding her claim to be false, he lodged a police report last month. What happened next is a bit murky but three police personnel — including two from the Special Action Squad — have been arrested and are likely to be charged with murder. It is believed that she was shot execution-style somewhere in Puncak Alam before her body was placed over some explosives and detonated.

Using a battery of metal detectors, sniffer dogs and post- blast investigation equipment, police personnel examined a shallow grave and surrounding areas for nearly eight hours. They found a handful of bone fragments.

Aminah’s case came to light after Aminah’s sister lodged a missing person’s report on Oct 21. In it, she identified the political analyst as a suspect. Bit by bit, the police dug and managed to put together a mosaic of what took place.

They learnt that she and the analyst — who runs a think- tank — were introduced to each other at a party abroad a few years ago. They struck up a relationship and had been seeing each other off and on abroad.

Several months ago, the analyst told her that he wanted to end the relationship.

Early last month, Aminah, her sister and cousin turned up in Kuala Lumpur. She hired a private investigator to obtain as much information about the analyst. She also bombarded him with SMSes.

She attempted to visit him at his office and home in Damansara but was prevented by security staff. The analyst also engaged the services of a security consultant to make sure that she did not continue to harass him.

On Oct 19, she showed up outside his home and created a ruckus.

Her sister said that Aminah did not return to their hotel in Chinatown and lodged a police report two days later.
Top-notch investigators were yesterday interrogating those in custody to fill some important blanks in the case, namely how the police personnel got involved. The analyst, in his 40s, is expected to be produced before a magistrate today.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office yesterday clarified that the member of the Special Action Squad detained in connection with the murder was not part of the Prime Minister’s permanent personal security team.

A spokesman told Bernama that the police personnel was only a member of a team whose duties include providing security on a rotational basis to Malaysian VIPs when they travel overseas.