'Abdul Razak told me he didn't ask Azilah to kill Altantuya'

Siti Aisyah, the secretary to political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, told the High Court in Shah Alam today that her employer had informed her that he did not instruct Azilah Hadri to kill Altantuya Shaariibuu, also known as Amina.

The 36-year-old woman was present at the High Court as a witness in the RM100 million civil suit filed by Altantuya's family against Abdul Razak, the Malaysian government as well as two former police officers chief inspector Azilah and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar.

Siti Aisyah (photo above) told the court this after the plaintiff's lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, asked her regarding the meeting between Azilah and Abdul Razak which took place in the latter's office in 2006.

For the record, the slain Mongolian model was fondly known as Amina, which was also confirmed by his father Shaariibuu Setev during Altantuya criminal trial in 2007.

Sangeet: Other than Amina, do you know anyone linked to this case who had come to your office?

Siti Aisyah: Yes. On Oct 18, 2006, the third defendant (Abdul Razak) called me through the phone and said that an officer from the Special Action Unit (UTK) would come to meet him.

Sangeet: Who is this UTK (officer) you refer to?

Siti Aisyah: Azilah Hadri, the first defendant in this case.

Siti Aisyah then told the court presided by judge Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera that Razak and the UTK officer held a meeting in a room for half an hour. At that time, she did not know the officer's name.

To a question on how she came to know of Azilah's name, Siti Aisyah said Abdul Razak revealed the identity of the officer when the former told her that "something bad had happened", on Nov 7, 2006.

"In the room, there was only the third defendant (Abdul Razak) and I. He said something bad had happened. He said that Amina is dead.

"I asked him who did it? He said Azilah did it - the UTK officer who came to our office in October 2006."

Asked if Abdul Razak had informed her on how he knew that it was Azilah who killed Amina, Siti Aisyah gave a negative reply.

Asked to reveal further details of the conversation between her and Abdul Razak on that day, she said Abdul Razak told her that he did not ask Azilah to kill Amina.

"The third defendant (Abdul Razak) said the first defendant (Azilah) was not an ordinary cop but a chief inspector.

"He said he did not ask the first defendant to kill the woman but only asked Azilah to protect his house and family," she said.

Siti Aisyah said, subsequently, several police officers including one DSP Lim came to the office and took Abdul Razak away.

Earlier, Siti Aisyah, in her witness testimony, said she is still working with Abdul Razak as a secretary at his office Total Nexus (M) Sdn Bhd, at Jalan Ampang.

She said Amina had made four attempts to meet Abdul Razak (photo) at the office between August and October 2006.

In the first and only successful attempt, Siti Aisyah said she heard Abdul Razak telling Amina that "I got nothing to do with you. If you want to do anything go ahead".

This is not the first time Siti Aisyah became a court witness for Altantuya-related case. She was also summoned in 2007.

Altantuya is believed to have been killed in a deserted area in Shah Alam on Oct 19, 2006, with her remains blown up by military-grade explosives.

Both Sirul and Azilah, who were bodyguards to the then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, were convicted of the murder, while Razak was acquitted.

The hearing continues on May 14.  - Mkini