8 theSun | FRIDAY APRIL 10 2009

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REACTIONS TO THE SENTENCING

Altantuya

Victim’s father ACCUSED

satisfied Victim
Altantuya
Shaariibuu,
28
• Chief Insp
Hadri, 32
Azilah • Cpl Siru
Umar, 37

• Kamarul His
ham
l Azhar

ddin Hasnal Rez

ua

HONORARY Consul-Gen-
eral of Mongolia Datuk Syed Sirul and Azilah’s family
Abdul Rahman Alhabshi: members outside the
Dr Shaariibuu Setev is sat- Shah Alam High Court
isfied with the High Court’s yesterday.
decision to sentence Cpl Sirul
Azhar Umar and Chief Insp
Azilah Hadri to death for
the murder of his daughter
(Altantuya). I have informed
the Mongolian Embassy in
Thailand and the first secre-
tary (of the Foreign Ministry)
in Mongolia.
Shaariibuu was informed
of the decision this morn-
ing (9.30am). He wanted to
know whether they (defence)
would appeal the decision.
Shaariibuu and his wife
are not well and his second
grandson is receiving medi-
cal treatment in Beijing.
(Asked about the family’
s suit against the Malaysian
government and police) The
RM100 million suit filed of the trial do not bother me. will continue.
against the Malaysian gov- I have to remain calm and We are of the view that
ernment and police will go composed for him. the A-G was wrong in not
on. They had been waiting for appealing the decision of the
the High Court’s decision. Lawyer Karpal Singh, who court to acquit Razak.
is holding a watching
Azilah’s fiancee No- brief for Shaariibuu’s Lead prosecutor DPP Tun
razila Baharuddin family: Abdul Majid Hamzah:
(pix): Shaariibuu will It is a fair decision because
Azilah is calm, certainly not be we have strong
he is not angry and satisfied with circumstantial
he did not cry. We the decision. evidence
expected him to be Satisfied with against
released, but the this decision both of
verdict was other- (sentenced to them. The
wise, so we have to death), yes, battle is
wait and take the next but not satisfied not over
step. Some of his family with regard to yet as we
and friends are here but who ought to have have to go
not his parents as they live been implicated and to higher
quite a distance away. convicted. What motive courts.
I see Azilah every Satur- would these two (Azilah and If and
day. We have no plans for the Sirul) have had? when the
future just yet. I think both the Mongolian Federal Court af-
Of course, we are plan- government and Shaariibuu firms the decision, only then
ning to get married. I have would not be satisfied with just will it be settled. As far as the
already waited for so long. the conviction and sentencing prosecution is concerned,
We have known each other to death of these two people. It there has not been the
since 2004 and planned to get should go beyond this. involvement of anyone else
married in 2006. In any event, the applica- – politically or otherwise.
(Asked about Azilah’s tion for a judicial review of
other relationship) Azilah has the decision of the attorney- Sirul’s counsel Hasnal Re-
many friends, both women general not to appeal against zua Merican:
and men, and issues that the acquittal of political The defence will appeal
cropped up during the course analyst Abdul Razak Baginda the decision.

Duo convicted as charged

» From Front Page
“... I hereby convict both as charged,” he
said.
“I, therefore, now sentence you to death and
both of you will henceforth be kept in lawful
custody until you are brought to a lawful place
to be hanged by the neck until you are dead,”
he added.
Earlier, Zaki said Azilah’s defence was
centred around the fact that he did not utter
statements relating to the scene which were
admitted by this court as evidence of informa-
tion leading to discovery of facts under Section
27 of Evidence Act.
He also denied that he was at the scene of
the crime at the relevant times and dates, and
instead claimed he was somewhere in Wangsa
Maju as his notice of alibi.
Azilah also told the court he was not the last
person to be with Altantuya, for he had handed
her on the night in question to Sirul Azhar for
him to send her back to Hotel Malaya.
Azilah, however, did not call any witness to
support his defence and alibi.
“The court must nevertheless still consider
whether he (Azilah) succeeded in casting rea-
sonable doubt on the prosecution’s case,” he
said.
Sirul, who made a tearful statement from the
dock, claimed he was made a scapegoat, and
that he did not utter all the statements relating
to the discovery of personal belongings of the
deceased which were admitted as evidence of
information leading to discovery of facts under
Section 27 of the Evidence Act.
The father of one claimed he was not at the
scene but was instead having tea in Sri Harta-
mas followed by sahur in Kampung Baru, Kuala
Lumpur, during the time of murder. Sirul also
said Azilah never handed Altantuya to him.
On Sirul’s statement from the dock, Zaki said
the law relating to the weight to be attached
to an unsworn statement from the dock which
is not subjected to cross-examination by the
prosecution is likewise settled.
He said the court must not reject it ipso
facto (an effect which is a direct consequence
of an action) but must consider it for whatever
it was worth having regards to other evidence
available and to see whether the defence had
succeeded in casting a reasonable doubt on the
prosecution’s case.