Altantuya’s family files bankruptcy notice against Razak Baginda

 

The family of Altantuya Shaariibuu filed a bankruptcy notice and judgment debtor summons against political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda early this month.

PETALING JAYA: 

The family of murdered Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu has filed a bankruptcy notice and judgment debtor summons against political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who together with the government and two former policemen, were found jointly and severally liable for her unlawful killing 18 years ago.

The government, Razak and the two former policemen, Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri, were ordered to pay RM5 million in damages to the family.

The lawyer for Altantuya’s family, Sangeet Kaur Deo, said Razak had, however, applied to the High Court in Shah Alam to stay the bankruptcy notice and judgment debtor summons pending the disposal of his appeal in the Court of Appeal.

The family filed the applications early this month and there was a subsequent response from Razak,

 she told FMT.

Sangeet said Razak had also applied to set aside the bankruptcy notice and judgment debtor summons.

She also said the Court of Appeal would conduct a case management tomorrow to determine a date to hear the appeal against the Dec 16, 2022, High Court ruling.

The government and Razak, who previously admitted to being in a romantic relationship with Altantuya, have appealed against the quantum and liability.

Meanwhile, the family has filed a cross-appeal seeking a higher compensation.

The family has also filed a civil action against the government to enforce the judgment, with Putrajaya opposing it.

The court has fixed Sept 19 to hear their applications.

Altantuya was shot in the head in 2006 in a forest in Puncak Alam. Her body was later blown up with explosives.

Azilah and Sirul were found guilty and sentenced to death for her murder.

Razak, a former aide to then deputy prime minister Najib Razak, was charged with abetting the duo, but was acquitted without his defence being called.

Sirul, who was freed from Australian immigration detention in November last year and is now living in Canberra, and Azilah, who is on death row at Kajang prison, did not challenge the family’s suit.

In his written judgment released last month, Justice Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera said he had to draw an adverse inference against Razak after the latter elected not to testify under oath or call witnesses in the suit.

Vazeer said Sirul and Azilah had also admitted to several police officers that they had caused Altantuya’s unlawful death by first shooting her with a firearm and then blowing her body to smithereens by strapping it with military grade explosives.

He said Razak’s conduct before and after the death of the victim gave rise to the irresistible inference that he conspired and colluded with the policemen.

Vazeer said Sirul and Azilah had no reasons of their own to kill Altantuya. - FMT