A businessman is suing Al-Jazeera for linking him to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. – Al-Jazeera screengrab, January 19, 2016.
Businessman Abdul Salam Ahmad will take international broadcaster Al-Jazeera to court for calling him a middleman between fugitive Sirul Azhar Umar and Malaysian figures over the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
His lawyer, Akberdin Abdul Kader, said Al-Jazeera’s local representative, Steve Chao, and the media organisation’s headquarters in Doha, Qatar, refused to apologise and remove the defamatory report from the broadcaster’s social media sites and website.
Legal firm Akberdin & Co sent a letter of demand to Chao and the broadcaster on December 8, seeking an apology published in three local newspapers within 14 days.
The letter read that a RM50 million civil suit will be commenced if the demands were not met.
A copy of the letter was also sent to the programme host, Australian freelance journalist Mary Ann Jolley.
However, Akberdin said, the broadcaster did not represent Jolley.
“We will file the suit in due course against the broadcaster and the reporter,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
It was previously reported that Al-Jazeera was standing by the accuracy of Jolley’s documentary “Murder in Malaysia”.
Salam in November lodged a police report in Shah Alam against Al-Jazeera, saying the broadcaster had defamed him by naming him as a middleman.
Sirul, a former police commando, was sentenced to death by the Federal Court for Altantuya’s murder and is currently seeking asylum in Australia.
Jolley said Sirul sent several text messages to Salam in January last year, demanding millions of dollars to “remain in Australia and not bring down the PM”.
In his police report, however, Salam said the SMS citing his name was defamatory, and that he never played any role for any party or for Sirul.
Jolley said Sirul sent several text messages to Salam in January last year, demanding millions of dollars to “remain in Australia and not bring down the PM”.
In his police report, however, Salam said the SMS citing his name was defamatory, and that he never played any role for any party or for Sirul.
In the report, Salam said he contacted Jolley to seek an explanation but she did not respond.
He added that the documentary defamed him by reportedly saying he had a “history of bribery”.
Police are investigating Al-Jazeera for publishing statements, rumours or reports that could cause public fear or alarm.
Sirul and former police commando Azilah Hadri were sentenced to death in January last year for the 2006 murder of Altantuya when the Federal Court reversed their previous acquittal.
However, Sirul left Malaysia following his acquittal in 2013 by the Court of Appeal.
Azilah remains in Sungai Buloh prison and has filed a petition for clemency to the Sultan of Selangor. Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a confidante of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was acquitted of abetment in Altantuya’s murder without his defence being called.
The motive for the murder was never established in court.
- TMI
Police are investigating Al-Jazeera for publishing statements, rumours or reports that could cause public fear or alarm.
Sirul and former police commando Azilah Hadri were sentenced to death in January last year for the 2006 murder of Altantuya when the Federal Court reversed their previous acquittal.
However, Sirul left Malaysia following his acquittal in 2013 by the Court of Appeal.
Azilah remains in Sungai Buloh prison and has filed a petition for clemency to the Sultan of Selangor. Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a confidante of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was acquitted of abetment in Altantuya’s murder without his defence being called.
The motive for the murder was never established in court.
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