Setev Shaariibuu, the father of murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, has filed a judicial review application seeking court orders to compel the authorities to investigate - or complete their probe into - the contents of former police officer Azilah Hadri’s additional affidavit.
The affidavit, dated Sept 24, 2024, incorporates a statutory declaration from Oct 17, 2019, in which Azilah claimed he acted under explicit instructions.
Azilah, one of two former Special Action Unit (UTK) officers convicted of Altantuya’s murder, had relied on this additional affidavit, among other documents, in his Federal Court bid to have his death sentence commuted.
In a statement this morning, Setev’s lawyer, Sangeet Kaur Deo, confirmed that the judicial review application has been filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
The hearing for the leave application has been fixed for Sept 29.
‘Allegation undermines public trust’
Following the court’s decision last October, Altantuya’s family urged the government to investigate the allegations made in the affidavit that Azilah received orders from “high-ranking government officials” to “eliminate and dispose of” the Mongolian national.
In January, Sangeet renewed the call, stressing that the administration cannot afford to appear complicit and must honour its pledge to uphold the rule of law by investigating the claims.
“If proven true, these claims indicate the exploitation of state institutions for personal agendas by influential individuals, undermining public trust and damaging the nation’s international reputation.
“Any perception of inaction or intentional suppression of the truth will severely damage the credibility of the administration and the nation’s standing in the eyes of its citizens and the international community,” she said.
Sangeet also revealed that a letter sent to Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail last October, and subsequently forwarded to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Attorney-General’s Chambers, went unanswered.
“How much longer must the affected parties wait before real action is taken? How long will the government remain silent while the nation’s reputation continues to be tarnished?” she asked.
Najib reiterates innocence
In 2009, the Shah Alam High Court found Azilah Hadri and the other UTK officer, Sirul Azhar Umar, guilty of murdering Altantuya.
The Court of Appeal overturned their convictions in 2013, but the Federal Court reinstated them two years later, sentencing both men to death. By then, however, Sirul had fled to Australia, escaping the final judgment.
During the hearing of a defamation suit against former attorney-general Tommy Thomas last year, former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak reiterated that he had nothing to do with the murder and denied knowing or meeting the deceased.
“At the material time, I was the deputy prime minister. I had never met her, and I’m innocent of this crime.
“I know Abdul Razak Baginda. He was the defence analyst working under my administration at the time. That was how I knew him. He was involved in buying submarines from the French submarine maker, which involved a billion-dollar deal,” he said.
Najib had filed the defamation suit against Thomas and GB Gerakbudaya Enterprise Sdn Bhd over statements made about the murder in the book, “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”.
In February this year, the Shah Alam High Court ordered the Malaysian government and Razak to pay over RM9 million to Altantuya’s family pending an ongoing appeal over a civil court ruling in 2022. - Mkini
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