PKR wants the police to check the passport of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to determine if there is any link between him and slain Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, the opposition party's supreme council member Latheefa Koya said it is important for the police to look into this matter since Najib previously denied knowing Altantuya.

She said this based on the testimony of the murder victim's cousin Burmaa Oyunchimeg during the ongoing murder trial.

On June 29, Burmaa told the Shah Alam High Court that she saw a photograph of Altantuya dining in Paris with the third accused Abdul Razak Baginda and a government official known only as "Najib Razak."

Latheefa said the police should check the passports of all three individuals, to determine if they were in Paris at the same time.

Circumstantial evidence

"All this is circumstantial evidence. It doesn't show that those in the photograph were involved in the murder. But since the deputy premier had denied any relationship, then it boils down to suspicion.

"If there is no such photograph, let the public know. If there is none, it boils down to the testimony of the prosecution witness and she can be charged (for perjury)," she added.

Two members of the police's elite Special Action Squad (UTK) chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 30 and lance corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36, are charged with the murder of Altantuya while political analyst Abdul Razak, 47, is charged with abetting them.

All three face the death sentence if found guilty.

Najib, who is also defence minister, is known to have close ties with Abdul Razak, who owns a consultancy firm which helped Malaysia procure arms.

Police report

PKR information chief Tian Chua recently landed in a controversy when he published a doctored photograph purportedly showing the deputy premier dining with Abdul Razak and the murder victim.

Tian Chua has since admitted that the photograph was doctored and has refused to apologise amid a volley of criticism.

On Tuesday, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) demanding for 'speedy action' to be taken against Tian Chua.

In a related matter, Latheefa also announced that PKR would be lodging a police report soon on allegations raised during the trial that the police forced confessions from two witnesses.

Prosecution witness Rohaniza Roslan and Sirul , had both testified that they made statements to the police under duress.

"This are serious allegations and it has negative implications towards the whole trial and how investigations are conducted," said Latheefa, who is a practicing lawyer.

"Whatever the outcome of the trial, these allegations are still there (and must be resolved)," she added.