Malaysia asks Interpol help to find missing detective

By Soo Ai Peng

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has issued an international alert for a missing private eye after he made, and abruptly retracted, allegations about the deputy prime minister's links to a high-profile murder case, police said on Sunday.

The detective, Balasubramaniam Perumal, disappeared along with his wife and three children on Friday after retracting an allegation that Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak had sexual relations with the murder victim.

The Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibu, 28, was shot in the head twice before her body was blown up with C4 explosives in October 2006. One of Najib's top aides and two state bodyguards are on trial for the murder.

"Police in the country have been put on alert to find him and we have informed Interpol ... as well as police in neighbouring countries," National Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief Bakri Zinin told a news conference on Sunday.

"We are soliciting the public's help to find Balasubramaniam, because even the person (his nephew) who filed the missing report is not giving his full cooperation," Bakri said.

"I give a guarantee of his safety, if he comes to meet us, and he is free to bring a lawyer."

Najib has repeatedly denied he ever had a sexual relationship with the Mongolian, or had conspired to cover up her murder, allegations made on Thursday by Balasubramaniam, who was working for Abdul Razak at the time of the killing.

The detective's bombshell was the latest twist in the high-stakes political melodrama -- featuring allegations of sex, murder, lies and sodomy -- that has gripped the nation since a March 8 general election handed a resurgent opposition led by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim unprecedented gains.