The police should investigate Datuk Seri Najib Razak over the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the PKR and DAP said today, after the prime minister rejected claims by convicted former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar that there was an order to kill the Mongolian woman.
“Datuk Seri Najib Razak statement today that it was ‘utter rubbish’ for Sirul to have acted under orders to kill Altantuya Shaariibuu was premature, suspicious and must be investigated by the police,” said PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil in a statement today.
Fahmi questioned how Najib could issue such a statement if he knew nothing about Altantuya.
“And does he have more information than the public knows to make such a conclusion? His comments have raised the perception among the public that there is something not right in this issue,” he said.
In a separate statement, Klang MP Charles Santiago said the judiciary should issue a stay of execution for Sirul and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, who was also convicted for the murder, until Najib was questioned.
The DAP leader said Najib’s “strong reaction’ to Sirul’s claim implied he knew details of the case.
He said that despite his denials, Najib had always been linked to Altantuya as she had worked as a translator during a defence deal involving Najib, then the defence minister, and his associate, Abdul Razak Baginda.
“Although Najib has always maintained he does not know Altantuya, expose by a private investigator and the recent information leaked by Sirul have always looped in the prime minister,” said Charles.
“And if necessary, this case should also be re-investigated in the interest of the nation as it involves a man who has the top job in the country.”
He said the police should not attempt to protect Najib as Sirul’s threat to expose the details of the murder was explosive.
“Malaysia’s internal security may well be compromised following Sirul’s statement as it raises suspicion that we may have a premier who could be involved in a criminal case,” said Charles.
Najib today rubbished Sirul’s claims that he was under orders to kill Altantuya, but refused to elaborate further.
“It’s total rubbish, total rubbish,” he told reporters after attending MCA’s Chinese New Year open house at Wisma MCA today.
Najib was asked on Sirul’s claim in a Malaysiakini report that he had orders to kill Altantuya.
On Tuesday, Sirul (pic, left), now detained in Australia, said that the “real” murderers were still free.
“I was under orders. The important people with motive are still free,” he told Malaysiakini in an interview.
Sirul also said that his superior officer, then deputy superintendent Musa Safri, should have been called to give evidence in the Altantuya murder trial.
At the time of the murder, Musa was the aide-de-camp of Najib, then the deputy prime minister.
“He should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution,” Sirul was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.
The 43-year-old said he never knew Altantuya or even Razak, who was acquitted with abetting the Mongolian’s murder.
Altantuya’s father Dr Setev Shaariibuu had previously claimed that his daughter had come to Malaysia specifically to meet Najib.
In 2013, the Court of Appeal acquitted Sirul and Azilah, saying there was serious misdirection by trial judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Yasin, including the decision not to call Musa as witness.
The three-man appellate court said the failure to put Musa on the witness stand was important to the prosecution to unfold the narrative of its case.
On January 13, a five-man Federal Court bench led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria sentenced the men to be hanged, overturning the Court of Appeal’s decision. – February 19, 2015.
