KUALA LUMPUR: Is the latest “explosive” revelation on Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s involvement in Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder the last ditch, desperate attempt by a murderer to escape the hangman’s noose?
The evidence leading to the conviction and death sentence of the accused, former chief inspector Azilah Hadri and former corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, has all been revealed and the trial went through all stages right up to the Federal Court.
Azilah, who was a member of the police’s elite Special Actions Unit (UTK), is asking the Federal Court to review its decision to convict him and Sirul.
The case management of the application has been fixed for today.
Sirul has since fled to Australia while Azilah is languishing in the Kajang prison, waiting to be executed.
Another co-accused, Najib’s associate, Abdul Razak Baginda — was originally convicted but later acquitted and is now a free man.
Azilah and Sirul, who were with UTK, were assigned to Najib’s security detail at that time.
The case captivated the world’s attention then and is still talked about 13 years on.
This is because despite the conclusion of the trial, the motive of the murder has remained a point of contention.
During the course of the trial, the late Karpal Singh, who was holding a watching brief for the victim’s family, had filed a notice of motion to call several witnesses.
One of them included Najib, who Karpal wanted to be called to testify in the trial.
Najib’s testimony, he argued, could introduce fresh evidence to the case.
However, the petition notice was rejected by the High Court after the judge ruled that “only the parties involved, namely the prosecution and the defence” had a right to submit the petition.
Another interesting point during the trial was when Sirul, on Feb 3, 2009, pleaded with the court not to pass the death sentence on him.
He claimed that he was like “a black sheep that has to be sacrificed” to protect unnamed people who had never been brought to court or faced questioning.
“I have no reason to cause hurt, what more to take the life of the victim in such a cruel manner.
“I appeal to the court, which has the power to determine if I live or die, not to sentence me so as to fulfil others’ plans for me,” he was quoted as saying.
On April 9, 2009, High Court judge Zaki Yasin ruled that Sirul’s and Azilah’s statements were “unbelievable” as both of the accused only blamed each other.
Both policemen were sentenced to death for the murder of Altantuya at the end of the 159-day trial.
Zaki said both of them failed to raise any reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.
It was reported that Sirul and Azilah showed no emotion when they heard that they would be hanged.
They were, however, acquitted on Aug 23, 2013 by the Court of Appeal.
Several reasons were given for the acquittal, such as the failure of the prosecution to provide a strong motive for the two men to murder the victim and the prosecution’s failure to call for the cross-examination of Najib’s aide, Musa Safri, and the Pekan member of parliament himself.
The prosecution later appealed the decision and the Federal Court overturned the acquittal of both individuals on Jan 13, 2015.
Both were found guilty of murder and again sentenced to death.
However, Sirul did not show up during the appeal hearing and it was later discovered that he had fled to Australia.
The government had since made an extradition request to get him back, but this has been refused by Australia due to its policy of not extraditing individuals to countries which have the death penalty.
Sirul is now detained by Australian Immigration authorities in Brisbane, Queensland.
Altantuya’s father, Dr Shaariibuu Setev, refused to let go of the case and said there was more to his daughter’s murder than what had been revealed during the trial.
He said the motive of the murder needed to be investigated and the person who ordered the killing must be brought to justice.