ID :
27713
Fri, 10/31/2008 - 13:23
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/27713
The shortlink copeid
HIGH COURT ACQUITS POLITICAL ANALYST IN MONGOLIAN WOMAN MURDER CASE
SHAH ALAM (Malaysia), Oct 31 (Bernama) -- The High Court Friday acquitted political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda and called for the defence of Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar in the murder trial of Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that the prosecution had failed to make out
a prima facie case against Abdul Razak. He set Nov 10 for Azilah and Sirul
Azhar, both members of the Special Action Squad (UTK), to make their
defence.
Azilah, 32, and Sirul Azhar, 36, are charged with murdering Altantuya, then
28, at a location here between 10pm on OCt 19 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006.
Abdul Razak, 48, executive director of the Malaysia Strategic Research
Centre, had been charged with abetting in the murder in the Federal Territory of
Kuala Lumpur between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45am on Oct 19, 2006.
The charges carry the death penalty upon conviction.
Azilah and Sirul Azhar opted to testify under oath in making their defence.
The other options are to give a statement from the dock or to remain silent.
The court had taken 151 days from June 4 last year to hear the testimonies
of 84 prosecution witnesses. It had adjourned its decision to Friday (Oct
31)after the prosecution had concluded its case on June 23 this year.
Azilah was represented by counsel Hazman Ahmad and J.Kuldeep Kumar, Sirul
by counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, Hasnal Redzua Merican and Ahmad Zaidi
Zainal, and Abdul Razak by counsel Wong Kian Kheong.
Deputy public prosecutors Abd Majid Hamzah, Noorin Badaruddin, Manoj Kurup
and Hanim Rashid appeared for the prosecution.
Lawyers Karpal Singh, Sangeet Kaur Deo and Ram Karpal Singh held a watching
brief for the family of Altantuya.
Altantuya, who had two sons aged four and 10, had attended high school in
Russia and had had training as a teacher and translator in English and Russian
at the National University of Mongolia.
Her murder had been described as most gruesome because her body was blown
up with explosives. Forensic experts had found pieces of flesh and bone
scattered over an area in Puncak Alam here.
The case received wide coverage because Altantuya had reportedly come to
Malaysia to look for Abdul Razak who allegedly had an affair with her.
-- BERNAMA
Judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that the prosecution had failed to make out
a prima facie case against Abdul Razak. He set Nov 10 for Azilah and Sirul
Azhar, both members of the Special Action Squad (UTK), to make their
defence.
Azilah, 32, and Sirul Azhar, 36, are charged with murdering Altantuya, then
28, at a location here between 10pm on OCt 19 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006.
Abdul Razak, 48, executive director of the Malaysia Strategic Research
Centre, had been charged with abetting in the murder in the Federal Territory of
Kuala Lumpur between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45am on Oct 19, 2006.
The charges carry the death penalty upon conviction.
Azilah and Sirul Azhar opted to testify under oath in making their defence.
The other options are to give a statement from the dock or to remain silent.
The court had taken 151 days from June 4 last year to hear the testimonies
of 84 prosecution witnesses. It had adjourned its decision to Friday (Oct
31)after the prosecution had concluded its case on June 23 this year.
Azilah was represented by counsel Hazman Ahmad and J.Kuldeep Kumar, Sirul
by counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, Hasnal Redzua Merican and Ahmad Zaidi
Zainal, and Abdul Razak by counsel Wong Kian Kheong.
Deputy public prosecutors Abd Majid Hamzah, Noorin Badaruddin, Manoj Kurup
and Hanim Rashid appeared for the prosecution.
Lawyers Karpal Singh, Sangeet Kaur Deo and Ram Karpal Singh held a watching
brief for the family of Altantuya.
Altantuya, who had two sons aged four and 10, had attended high school in
Russia and had had training as a teacher and translator in English and Russian
at the National University of Mongolia.
Her murder had been described as most gruesome because her body was blown
up with explosives. Forensic experts had found pieces of flesh and bone
scattered over an area in Puncak Alam here.
The case received wide coverage because Altantuya had reportedly come to
Malaysia to look for Abdul Razak who allegedly had an affair with her.
-- BERNAMA
