KUALA LUMPUR - Lawyers acting for ex-police commando Sirul Azhar Umar are now in Australia to aid their client, who was sentenced to death in absentia over the 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin told Malay Mail Online that he is currently in Sydney, but could only provide updates on his client’s situation when he returns to Malaysia this Thursday.
Sirul, one of two former police commandos accused of murdering Altantuya eight years ago, failed to show up at the Federal Court on January 13 when it was to decide whether he was to remain free or be sent to the gallows.
It was later reported last week that Sirul was detained by immigration authorities in Queensland, Australia after Interpol issued a red notice for the former lawman over his murder conviction.
Ominous silence from Wisma Putra
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry had initially said that Australian authorities had released Sirul from detention while withholding his passport, but has since remained silent on his status.
Earlier today, The Star Online reported that Kamarul is being accompanied by another lawyer in Sydney to negotiate Sirul’s release by Australian authorities.
The report quoted lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican as saying that the legal team’s plan is “to try and work something to get him out of the detention centre”.
When contacted last Friday, Kamarul said his client will need to engage lawyers qualified to practice in Australia to file a legal challenge in the Australian courts, should there be any attempt to extradite him.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had confirmed last week that the Malaysian police had sent in a formal extradition request to Australia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Australia’s extradition legislation prohibits an individual from being sent back to another country for an offence punishable by death, unless that country pledges not to carry out a death sentence.
In 2006, Sirul and former chief Inspector Azilah Hadri were charged with the murder of 28-year-old Altantuya and convicted by the High Court in 2009.
They, however, were acquitted by the Court of Appeal in 2013, before ultimately having their freedom cut short by the Federal Court’s reversal of the decision two weeks ago. - Malay Mail
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.