‘ALTANTUYA CASE WON’T BE DELAYED MUCH LONGER’: AG TOMMY HAS SIGNALED WILLINGNESS TO RE-OPEN PROBE AFTER NEW LEADS PRESENTED TO HIM – LAWYER

PUTRAJAYA: The emergence of new leads in Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder is enough grounds to reopen investigations, said lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.

After a discussion with newly-appointed Attorney General Tommy Thomas here on Tuesday, Ramkarpal expressed confidence about the 12-year-old case.

“We are quite optimistic that in light of this discussion with the new AG, the case can be investigated further.

“The issue of motive, as to who ordered the murder of Altantuya, will allow this case to proceed and to be investigated so that those responsible can be brought to justice,” said Ramkarpal at a press conference at the AG’s Chambers.

Ramkarpal, as the lawyer for Altantuya’s family, accompanied the victim’s father Dr Shaariibuu Setev to meet Thomas earlier.

He, however, said he is “not at liberty” to reveal what the new leads are.

Ramkarpal also said that it was “not necessary” for Sirul Azhar Umar, who was convicted for the murder, to return to Malaysia from Australia in order for the case to be reopened.

“There are enough leads locally for the case to be reopened,” said the lawyer.

Ramkarpal said the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry was also discussed with the AG, but added that an RCI would be an “alternative”.

“The main focus is on reopening investigation on the case. If we can do that, we do not need the RCI,” he said.

Speaking through a translator, Dr Shaariibuu said that all he wanted was justice to prevail in the case of his daughter’s murder.

“No one is above the law,” he said in Mongolian.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun had said last month that the police had not found any grounds to reopen investigations into the case.

Altantuya, 28, is believed to have been shot dead before her body was blown to bits with explosives at a secondary forest near the Subang Dam in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam in 2006.

In 2009, Sirul Azhar Umar and accomplice Azilah Hadri were convicted of murdering Altantuya and were sentenced to death.

The Court of Appeal overturned their sentences in 2013 but upon the prosecution’s appeal, the sentences were upheld by the Federal Court.

Sirul fled to Australia, where he was detained by the Australian Immigration after Interpol issued a red notice on him.

He has been at the detention centre since 2015, where he is hoping to get asylum. – THE SUN DAILY

New leads in Altantuya murder case presented to A-G

THE reopening of the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case will be expedited by the Attorney-General’s Chambers after new leads were presented today, said lawyer Ramkarpal Singh.

He said Attorney-General Tommy Thomas will look into the leads before reopening the probe.

“We have presented new and old leads to restart the investigation. I can’t tell exactly yet what those new leads are at this stage,”   he said after a meeting at the Attorney-General’s Office.

“Very likely it will be reopened, and it won’t be delayed for much longer.”

Present at the meeting was the Mongolian translator’s father, Dr Setev Shaariibuu, who arrived in Malaysia last week.

Setev has called on the attorney-general to reopen the case.

Altantuya, 28, is believed to have been shot dead before her body was blown up in a forest in Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, in 2006.

It is believed that her body was blown up using military-grade C4 explosives.

Ramkarpal said he is optimistic that Altantuya’s murder will be investigated further, following his hour-long meeting with Thomas.

“As the new attorney-general, he said he will have to relook all the criminal and civil files.

“He knew what was going on. He also knew the background of the issue. Of course, we did give him a bit of information (on Altantuya’s case).

“The main message we got from the attorney-general is that it (reopening the case) won’t be delayed much longer.”  

He said Thomas did not indicate when the probe will be reopened.

“The time frame was not discussed. But, he agreed that the new leads can be the basis for the (new) investigation.”

Setev said the message he conveyed to the attorney-general, and which he will convey to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad tomorrow, is that he wants to see justice being done.

“There is nobody above the law. I want to ask the prime minister to solve this problem.”  

Two policemen – Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri – who were once former prime minister Najib Razak’s bodyguards, were found guilty and sentenced to death in 2015.

Azilah is on death row at Kajang Prison, while Sirul is being held in an Australian immigration detention centre after escaping to Australia before sentencing.

Sirul recently offered to testify in exchange for a pardon, but the offer was rejected by Ramkarpal, who is also DAP’s Bukit Gelugor MP.

Sirul’s deportation may be blocked by legal hurdles, as Canberra will not extradite anybody who risked facing the death penalty, reported the Australian SBS news agency recently.  – THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT

THE SUN DAILY / THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT