Altantuya Shaariibuu’s father, Setev Shaariibuu, wants to hear from former police officer Azilah Hadri on who ordered the killing of his daughter in 2006.
“I want to hear from Azilah... Once that truth has been established, then there will be no other way but for an apology to be ordered, and I hope to get an answer for that,” he said in a statement.
The Mongolian national was speaking after the Court of Appeal fully discharged the government from liability over Altantuya’s death. The court also reduced the initial court-ordered global damages from RM5 million to RM1.4 million payable to the deceased’s family.
Reiterating his desire for a “sincere apology”, Setev, who will be appealing the verdict clearing the government, stressed that his pursuit of the case has never been about money.
“I am just a person who has been looking for justice for the past 20 years. I am only looking for a sincere apology, one word. I am holding on to the hope that one day, after 20 years, I will hear an apology for admitting the unlawful wrongdoing,” he said.
Setev added that it is not the people of Malaysia who should apologise, but that an official apology should be tendered to both the Mongolian government and people.
Not under govt’s instruction
This morning, a panel of three judges, led by Chief Judge of Malaya Hashim Hamzah, allowed the government’s appeal against the Shah Alam High Court’s 2022 verdict.
The panel’s verdict, read out by judge K Muniandy, found there was no evidence that former Azilah and another former police officer, Sirul Azhar Umar, were acting under the government’s instruction in Altantuya’s murder.
“Murder is the antithesis of the duty to protect life and make peace. It is an act so far removed from the authorised duty of a police officer that it severs the connection between the employer and the employee,” Muniandy said.
Altantuya was murdered in October 2006, and her remains were blown up with military-grade explosives.
Azilah and Sirul were subsequently convicted of the murder and sentenced to death in April 2009.
While Azilah remains in prison, his death sentence was commuted to 40 years in jail and 12 rotan strokes. In his affidavit, the former police officer claimed that he received orders from “high-ranking government officials” to “eliminate and dispose of” Altantuya.
Altantuya’s family had later filed a judicial review asking the authorities to complete their probe into Azilah’s affidavit. - Mkini
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