The police may seek the extradition of private investigator P Balasubramaniam should he be charged for making a false statutory declaration, said Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar.

He said that can only happen if Balasubramaniam was not in the country and refused to return to face charges.

p balasubramaniam “At present, he is a free man. If he doesn’t want to come back, it is up to him,” he told reporters after officiating the Bloggers Buff 2008 at PWTC yesterday.

In a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 13, Syed Hamid revealed that the police had recorded statements from Balasubramaniam in Bangkok in July.

Balasubramaniam was a star witness in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial. He later released a controversial statutory declaration linking Deputy Premier Najib Abdul Razak to Altantuya.

syed hamid albar visit new chow kit police station 061108 04 The statutory declaration was retracted within 24 hours under strange circumstances and Balasubramaniam allegedly fled overseas with his family.

Police have completed investigations on the matter and investigation papers are currently being studied by the AG’s Chambers.

Money politics

On money politics in the Umno polls, Syed Hamid said that the quota system should be abolished and replaced with direct elections for key posts.

“I think there is a need for a total revamp of the electoral process in the party. It cannot go on this way because we hurt ourselves every time there is a party election,” he said.

Syed Hamid also brushed aside former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s threat to expose those involved in money politics.

“At the end of the day, whatever action that you want to take, must be substantiated by evidence. Otherwise we are prejudging the situation,” said Syed Hamid.

According to the Star, Mahathir was compiling and studying information about those involved in money politics.