PAC should quiz police commandos over Scorpene deal - Kit Siang

 

Veteran opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang said the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) should consider interrogating the two former police personnel who were convicted for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Lim (above) said this was necessary in light of formal French investigations on alleged corruption involving the sale of scorpene submarines to Malaysia in 2002.

In a statement, Lim said the PAC should consider interrogating Azilah Hadri, who is currently on death row, and Sirul Azhar Umar who is currently seeking refuge in Australia.

“(The PAC should) consider a parliamentary plea to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to commute the death sentence for both convicted killers in the effort to establish the motive for the murder of Altantuya,” said Lim.

The PAC’s explicit mandate is to investigate matters concerning government finance. However, Altantuya was linked to at least one person involved in the procurement of the submarines.

Altantuya was murdered on Oct 18, 2006. When Sirul and Azilah were tried for murder, it was revealed that Altantuya was in an affair with Abdul Razak Baginda, the owner of several companies involved in the scorpene submarine deal.

Sirul and Azilah were both convicted in 2009 but freed by the Court of Appeal in 2013. Upon being freed, Sirul fled to Australia, where he is currently under detention.

Sirul Azhar Umar (left) and Altantuya Shaariibuu

Following this, the Federal Court overturned the appeal and reinstated the conviction, which carries the death sentence.

Since the Federal Court case has concluded, both Sirul and Azilah continued to maintain their innocence.

Azilah attempted to seek a review of the Federal Court decision in 2019. In his statutory declaration, Azilah claimed he was given a “shoot-to-kill order” by then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak on the grounds that Altantuya was a foreign spy.

Azilah’s application for the review was unsuccessful.

Interest in the submarine deal was renewed after it was confirmed that the French authorities have commenced formal investigations on Thales Group over kickback allegations involved in the 20-year-old deal. - Mkini