By Jonathan Kent BBC News, Kuala Lumpur

 

A Malaysian court has given police until Sunday to question a leading political analyst over possible links to the murder of a Mongolian model.

Three police officers have also been arrested over the death of Altantuya Shaariibuu, who is thought to have been shot before her body was blown up.

According to the Malaysian press, the 28-year-old Mongolian woman came to Kuala Lumpur early last month.

She hoped to confront a man she claimed had fathered her child, reports said.

Her sister and cousin, who had accompanied her to Malaysia, told police they had last seen her after she visited the man's house.

Her remains were found on Monday.

She is reported to have been shot twice in the head and her body blown up with plastic explosives.

Police arrested a man on Tuesday and on Wednesday asked the court for more time to question him.

He was named by his defence team as Abdul Razak Baginda. He is a well-known and respected political and defence analyst who advises some of the country's most senior politicians.

His lawyer confirmed that Mr Abdul Razak knew the dead woman but said he was totally convinced of his client's innocence.

Three police officers from the elite special action squad were also arrested, one of them a chief inspector.