KUALA LUMPUR: "A total lie and fabrication." That was how Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak dismissed blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin's statutory declaration alleging that Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, played a part in Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder.

"Why are you interested in this garbage?" he asked reporters eager for him to respond to the declaration which has been widely disseminated on the Internet.

"Everything that has been written is a total lie and fabrication. And total garbage. That's all I want to say."

Najib believed the allegations were politically motivated.

"There is no other conclusion except that it is a desperate and pathetic attempt to discredit me."

Raja Petra made a statutory declaration that he had received information that Rosmah, purported C4 expert acting Col Aziz Buyong and Aziz's wife, Norhayati, were at the scene of the crime.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi maintained that Najib and Rosmah were innocent, and denied a further claim by Raja Petra that a military intelligence report had been submitted on the couple's connection with the murder.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said police started investigations into Raja Petra's claims on Monday.

Najib said police had recorded a statement from his wife.

"Everyone (named in the declaration) will also give a statement, including the prime minister," he said after chairing a cabinet committee on illegal immigrants at Parliament yesterday.

In Ipoh, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said statements had been recorded from the people mentioned by Raja Petra.

"We are investigating the matter and will record statements from others if necessary," he said.