As expected, Altantuya killers' appeal delayed: Najib seen avoiding trial until GE-13 over

As expected, the high-anticipated appeal by Prime Minister Najib Razak's two former bodyguards against their death sentence for murdering Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu has been postponed to October 31 and November 1.

According to the prosecutors, the deferment was made to accommodate the filing of additional grounds in one of the appellant's court petition. But speculation is rife that Najib wanted to avoid negative publicity ahead of the 13th general election which is expected to be held early next year.

"Given that both men filed their appeal 2 years ago, such continuous delay is very suspicious. When the new hearing dates comes along and Najib has still not dissolved Parliament, I am quite sure there will be another postponement," PKR MP for Batu Tian Chua told Malaysia Chronicle.

The trial was originally fixed for August 27 and 28.

Enigmatic duo - no one remembers how they look!

Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar were sentenced to hang in 2009. The two are now amongst the most enigmatic men in Malaysia. Except for those who knew them before the flamboyant murder case blew up, few Malaysians know how they look like.

Police who escorted them to the court were obviously given special permission to let them cover their faces in the most extreme ways - even to the point of wearing knitted facial masks. Such contravention of standard procedure has sparked widespread doubt that they will really be penalized for the murder that most Malaysians believe is directly linked to Najib and his Umno party.

There is clear evidence that the beautiful 28-year-old Altantuya, whom some media describe as a 'party girl', had knowledge of some of the wheeling and dealing behind Malaysia's costly acquisition of 2 Scorpene submarines from French arms maker DCNS.

She had been blackmailing Najib's close friend Razak Baginda, who brokered the Scorpene acquisition, when she was killed in a jungle clearing in Malaysia and her body exploded with C4 - a special grade explosive restricted for military use.

While Najib's bodyguards were found guilty, there is still public outrage that the real master mind behind her killing has not been caught.

Baginda was also charged for abetting the two cops but he was controversially acquitted. An affable personality and widely known for his hosting of several TV programs, Baginda is regarded as being just another tool of ruthless 'higher-ups' who ordered the "trigger to be pulled". Just like the cops.

National and international attention: Will the Malaysian appellate court be biased

In the past weeks, the Umno-controlled press have gone on a frenzied blitz to de-link Altantuya from the Scorpenes purchase, which is the subject of an ongoing French trial in which DCNS is accused of having bribed Malaysian officials including Najib for sealing the deal.

Najib was the defense minister who had sanctioned the deal, which his Umno party hammered through Parliament despite massive public uproar over its excessive RM7.3bil price tag.

The French trial which began in April this year has so far uncovered hundreds of documents seized by the French police. A money trail has been established that leads to Baginda and Umno. In one of the documents, a DCNS official referred to Altantuya as Baginda's interpreter.

Separately, a Malaysian private investigator P Balasubramaniam hired by Baginda to stop Altantuya from blackmailing him has stated in an official document that she was Baginda's translator as well as mistress, and that it was Najib who introduced her to Baginda. Bala also states that Altantuya had been lovers with Najib before he "passed her" onto his friend.

Will the key questions and evidence be allowed to be raised

Meanwhile, Altantuya's father Setev Shaariibuu, has offered to testify in the cops' appeal. He told Malaysian lawmakers earlier this year that his daughter specifically told him she was coming to Malaysia to see Najib "to discuss something" with him.

Another notable evidence that all eyes are zooming on to see if the Malaysian courts will continue to suppress is the startling statement from Sirul that he was paid RM100,000 to kill Altantuya.

Both he and Azilah have never met her before and had no motive to kill her. Why did they do so and who paid them to do it?

These were the questions the Malaysian trial judge had studiously avoided when he convicted them and it now remains to be seen - both nationally and internationally -  if the Malaysian judiciary will continue to conduct the appeals in the same slanted manner.

Malaysia Chronicle