The family of murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, alleged to have been Prime Minister Najib Razak's mistress at one time, are unhappy that her ashes have still not been returned to her homeland.
The shocking revelation follows a recently leaked US cable accusing Najib's aide-de-camp of having ordered the murder, and also sparked fresh concern over the fate of the two men sentenced to hang for the killing.
"Isn't it odd that until now there is no court hearing? What happened to Zaki's promise of speeding up the cases? Her father is complaining that until now, her ashes have not been returned to Mongolia yet," PKR vice president Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.
Backlog cleared except for Altantuya's appeal
Both men are former bodyguards to Najib. They have appealed against their sentences but although more than two years have passed, and just-retired Chief Justice Zaki Azmi had rushed to clear up backlogged cases, the judiciary spring-cleaning seems to have stopped at Najib's death-row duo.
"The ultimate issue is the credibility of the judiciary in Malaysia. This case is seen as a political time bomb, but however sensitive it may be, justice must be done and be seen to be done," Nik Nazmi told Malaysia Chronicle.
Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were sentenced to hang in April 2009 for killing the 28-year-old Altantuya, who was also the lover of Najib's close friend Razak Baginda.
The two cops had no personal motive to do so and one of them had said in a report that he was offered RM100,000 to kill her. This is why despite the death penalty, Malaysians are not happy with the police investigation as they believe the master-minds behind the murder are being protected and walking free.
Najib's interference in the case plain to see
Baginda, who was initially charged with abetting the murder, was miraculously acquitted while the aide was never allowed to be brought to court. Altanutya had come to Kuala Lumpur to demand a US$500,000 commission allegedly part of a RM570 million kickback received by Baginda on Najib's behalf. The defense minister at that time was Najib, who sanctioned the purchase of the two Scorpene submarines and one Agosta, worth a total of RM7.3 billion..
Minister in the PM's Department Nazri Aziz has tried to excuse away the court's delay in hearing the appeal by insisting that the records were not complete.
"Without the grounds of judgement, the appeal records are not complete. Therefore, the Court of Appeal is unable to fix a date for the hearing," Nazri said in a written reply to a question raised in Parliament by Karpal Singh, the DAP MP for Bukit Gelugor.
But Najib's attempts to interfere in the case has all along been obvious. In July, he could not control his concern that details may emerge that might make it impossible for him to deny involvement. He deported a French lawyer William Bourdon who had come to Kuala Lumpur to brief top Malaysian NGO, Suaram, on the latest findings in the case.
Suaram has filed a complaint in Paris to protest the kickbacks allegedly paid by Scorpenes vendor DCN to top Malaysian officials, including Najib.
Najib has already sworn on the Quran that he never knew Altantuya, although French lawyers investigating the case are believed to have found new documentary evidence that he had traveled with her and Baginda to Macau during negotiations with DCN.
What the US cable said
The leaked US cable had asserted that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was convinced it was Najib's aide-camp, who had ordered the murder. The note also said Anwar had in his possession "solid" information, even "documentary evidence" that Najib's frontmen had received kickbacks from vendors for the Malaysian government's purchase of Scorpene submarines in 2002 and Sukhoi jet-fighters in 2003.
An excerpt from the leaked cable dated January 24, 2007, sent from the embassy in Malaysia to Washington reads:
“Anwar asserted that DPM Najib's aide-de-camp ordered the killing of Altantuya and that Anwar possessed firm evidence of the 2003 Sukhoi kick-back scheme.
"Anwar claimed that Najib had been romantically involved with the Mongolian woman prior to her relationship with Abdul Razak Baginda (Najib's confidante accused of abetting the woman's murder), and implied that Altantuya had intended to incriminate Najib as well as Razak Baginda. Leaning forward and in a hushed voice, Anwar asserted that he had firm information that Najib's aide-de-camp ordered the two members of Najib's security detail (who are charged with murder) to kill Altantuya.
"Former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim told polchief during their January 18 meeting at Anwar's Damansara home that high-level corruption had reached dangerous levels and had damaged the nation's integrity."
A blind eye and deaf ear
According to the PKR leaders, the authorities should have immediately initiated their own investigations upon release of such a cable, which actually substantiates the information a private investigator P Balasubramaniam had given to the police. Bala was Baginda's private investigator, hired to stop Altantuya from blackmailing and harassing him for her share of the DCN commission.
The French courts are due to hear the case against DCN soon, and this will further shed light on any misdeeds perpetrated by the Malaysian side. So far, the authorities here have turned a blind eye and deaf ear on the case.
"It is a shame that a court in Europe has to do what should be done by the judiciary here and that the French financial police have already opened and investigated the case but no sound at all from our Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission," said Tian.
- Malaysia Chronicle
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