KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — Al Jazeera reporter Mary Ann Jolley has denied any political agenda in her investigation into the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Jolley also downplayed claims of unprofessionalism during her interview with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for the channel’s 101 East show last week ,for bringing up her deportation by Malaysian authorities in 2015.
“I have no political agenda, I didn’t know if the prime minister was involved, linked or whatever. I wanted to hear from him,” she told radio channel LITE this morning.
Jolley said she had also sought to meet Najib’s then-aide Abdul Razak Baginda who was similarly accused of being involved in the murder, but neither Razak nor Najib had agreed to meet.
“I wasn’t into sensationalising it and into linking it with the government,” Jolley told LITE.
“It’s a murder of a young woman that was never solved; no motive was ever found. I think it needed to be looked at.”
In the 101 East interview, Najib had insisted that he was “totally innocent” in the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya, just moments before he lost his cool and walked out.
Jolley said she was initially disappointed with Najib’s walkout since she had more questions to ask, and would like to hear more from Najib about the murder and her deportation.
The Home Ministry previously told Parliament then that local authorities had banned Jolley from entering Malaysia because her actions were deemed a threat to national security and public order.
Najib had defended the move in the interview with Jolley, calling her a “nuisance” and accusing her of “fabricating lies”.
“I don’t hold any grudge, it was a weird experience to have,” she said, relating the deportation.
“It hasn’t damaged me, I don’t feel any resentment towards that,” she added, saying that she is even more motivated now to get to the truth of the murder.
