SHAH ALAM: The much-awaited testimonies of two policemen who were called to enter their defence for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu failed to take place.

Their counsel yesterday notified trial judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin that police were still tracing the whereabouts of P. Balasubramaniam and could not interview other material witnesses due to unforeseen circumstances.

They asked for more time as the prosecution took almost 18 months to complete its case.

Zaki then postponed the trial to Jan 15.

Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were ordered to enter their defence on Oct 31.
Both commandos with the Special Action Unit are said to have committed the offence at Mukim Bukit Raja Selangor, between 9.54pm on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19, 2006.

Altantuya's body was blown up with explosives.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who was charged with abetting the policemen, was acquitted without his defence being called.

Counsel Datuk Hazman Ahmad, who is representing Azilah, told the court that he was unable to interview several witnesses as they had gone outstation.

He also said the nine defence witnesses included a person who would give his expert opinion.

Lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, who is representing Sirul, told Zaki that his defence witnesses include Balasubramaniam and blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin.

Balasubramaniam, a former policeman, was a prosecution witness.

"We are attempting to recall Balasubramaniam and to interview Raja Petra to give evidence based on a statutory declaration posted on his website."

He said he was told that police were trying to locate Balasubramaniam.

Kamarul said he had written to Raja Petra's lawyers on Oct 31 requesting an interview with the blogger, who at that time was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

He said there was no response so far, even after Raja Petra was freed by the court last Friday.

"There must be some reason for the non-communication," he said, adding that the court could subpoena him to appear in court.

Deputy public prosecutor Tun Ihsan Tun Hamzah gave notice to the court that he would object to Kamarul's attempt to recall Balasubramaniam.

Speaking to reporters later, Kamarul said Raja Petra could be of assistance to the defence as he had posted a statutory declaration on his website on June 18.

He said the defence might call more witnesses if Raja Petra revealed the sources behind his statutory declaration.

"The contents are clear. You draw your own conclusion," he said when asked about the importance of the statutory declaration.

On July 1, Balasubramaniam made an explosive statutory declaration but the following day, confessed in a second statutory declaration that the earlier sworn statement was made under duress and was inaccurate.

He was subsequently reported to have fled the country with his wife and three children.

Hazman said Azilah's defence was that he was not at the crime scene.

"We have given the mandatory notice of alibi to the prosecution last year that he was elsewhere when the alleged crime took place."