Bala's sojourn in Bangkok

(Malaysian Mirror) - Private eye Balasubramaniam Perumal has allegedly received RM750,000 since he fled the country more than a year ago after giving two contrasting declarations regarding the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya Shaaribuu.

In his first declaration, Bala, as he is referred to as, had implicated a prominent politician in the case. In the second declaration, he retracted his earlier statement

News portal Malaysia Today carried a five-part interview which traced events that led to the second declaration and subsequent events that saw him flying off to Banagkok from Singapore and eventually settling in Chennai, India.

In Bangkok, Bala said he was interviewed by a Special Branch officer attached with the Malaysian Embassy and then by three other police officers from KL, including an officer attached with the commercial crimes unit in Bukit Aman.

He said he disappeared from the country within 48 hours of making his second declaration on July 5 last year and only occasionally returned home via the Malaysia-Thai border and without going through the immigration checkpoint at Bukit Kayu Hitam.

To India after Thailand

He said when the police interrogated him in Bangkok, they wanted to have more details about the first declaration and did not show any interest at all in his second declaration. After a few days in Thailand, he and his family flew to Kathmandu en route to India.

He said his passport was held by someone else and he only returned to Malaysia in February this year. "I was living illegally in India as my visa had expired in September last year," he said.

Bala claimed he was forced to sign the second declaration and his life was continuously monitored by certain people in Malaysia who had the power and influence to put his family's life under threat.

He alleged that the person who 'advised' him to sign the second declaration was a VIP linked to a prominent politician.

"He (the VIP) told me he knew that I had problems in the family and asked if I loved them. He then told me to take care of them and said their safety could be taken care of if I followed certain instructions.

"He then told me to rescind the first declaration," added Bala, saying the VIP was accompanied by his then pregnant wife.

Saved RM250,000 for family

Bala said he managed to carry on with life because there was always money being deposited into either his or his wife's bank account or through a middle person.

He said of the RM750,000 that he had so far received, he saved about RM250,000 for his family's future needs as he was not sure what would happen to him.

He claimed that a certain person had offered him RM5mil but he was more concerned about the safety of his family than the money.

"It is too difficult to live a comfortable life as the family is always living in fear," said Bala, who felt that money was of no use if he cannot give his wiffe and children a proper livelihood and education.

"It is like living in a prison; even though the prison is without lock and key," he told the news portal.

However, as much as he wants to return to a normal life, he said there are some 'forces' that prevent him from doing so.

"I have to stay away from them if I want to live as a free man," he said.