Former police Special Action Unit (UTK) officer Azilah Hadri had allegedly been brought out from death row at the Kajang Prison in February this year to meet a VVIP, alleged lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
The defence attorney for former premier Najib Abdul Razak told reporters this morning that he believed there was a coordinated political assassination plot against Najib.
He claimed that several people including agents of the Malaysian government had also gone to Australia to meet former UTK personnel Sirul Azhar Umar, under immigration detention there, to persuade him to come up with a statement against Najib.
"I am aware that from February, Azilah has been visited and there is very reliable information, which I cannot confirm, that Azilah met a VVIP outside the prison in February," Shafee claimed when met at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya today.
He was there to represent Najib, who is intervening in Azilah's application to the Federal Court to review his conviction and death sentence for murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.
The lawyer, however, declined to reveal the identity of the VVIP or whether the person was a politician or affiliated to any parties.
"Outside the prison, not in the prison. This when he is a death row prisoner. Which is totally a breach of protocol. But as I said, I cannot confirm that. I'm trying to confirm," he added.
According to Shafee, several people, allegedly including Malaysian agents and an Australian reporter, had also visited Sirul at a detention centre in Australia earlier this year.
He claimed that these people were engaged by some others to persuade the former police commando who was also sentenced to death for Altantuya's murder, to come up with a statement against Najib.
"In terms of Sirul, I know some Malaysian agents including an Australian reporter that had been engaged by some people and have been visiting Sirul, persuading him to come up with a statement, almost coordinated with Azilah's.
"This has been going on this year. And I know that the last few times these people visited Azilah was in the last quarter of this year.
"This is a mala fide act to create a sensation around my client," said Shafee.
Najib opposing Azilah's SD
On Monday, Malaysiakini, in an exclusive report, revealed that Azilah had made an SD alleging that it was Najib who ordered him to murder Altantuya in 2006.
The SD was attached as a supporting document in Azilah's review application, submitted to the court last week.
Shafee said he filed the application to intervene because Azilah's application implicated Najib (below).
According to him, it was not in their interest to oppose the application if it weren't for the contents of the SD.
"We do not care at all [...] If someone wants to save his life, he wants to review (judgment) and say no evidence, or that judges made a mistake, I would support that.
"But what we are opposing is that they suddenly implicate my client in a very spectacular way. You can say spectacularly mala fide; what they say is an inherently incredible story.
"The story is so incredible because it is in total opposition to what the two gentlemen have said to the police before," Shafee said.
He was referring to previous statements made by Azilah and Sirul to investigators during the Altantuya murder probe.
Shafee said during the application's case management at Federal Court today, a hearing for the review had been set for April 20 next year.
He said the court was also informed that the Attorney-General's Chambers was filing an affidavit to oppose Azilah's application.
"Yes, they have to file an affidavit in opposition to answer the current affidavit, this is what they (the AGC) told the registrar.
"We (Najib's legal team) have filed an application (to intervene)," said Shafee.
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