Case to make gov’t appeal Razak’s Altantuya acquittal defered

(Suara Keadilan) – The Shah Alam High Court has postponed to July 8 to hear an application from the family of murdered Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu that seeks to compel the government to appeal the acquittal of former accused Razak Baginda.

The deferment was to allow counsel Karpal Singh, who is acting on behalf of the family, to reply to submissions filed by Razak Baginda on June 1.

A close associate of Prime Minister Najib Razak, political analyst Razak Baginda was acquitted and discharged for abetting two policemen in the 2006 killing of the 28-year old Altantuya, alleged to have been Najib’s mistress at one time.

While Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar – formerly part of Najib’s security detail – were sentenced to hang, Razak Baginda was controversially released without his defence being called on Oct 31, 2008.

Two weeks later, the Attorney-General’s chambers followed up with an announcement that they would not appeal the discharge.

That fuelled further public uproar and accusations that it was a sham trial aimed to protect Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor, who have both been accused of being involved in the incident.

A complex case with ramifications to the top

The Altantuya murder is also tied to a huge 114 million euros (about RM540 million) commission paid out to a firm linked to Razak Baginda for Malaysia’s purchase of three high-cost submarines.

Najib was the defence minister who had sanctioned the acquisition.

Dissatisfied with justice meted out, Altantuya’s father Shaariibuu Setev then filed an application to compel the government to appeal against Razak Baginda’s acquittal.

In March this year, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail submitted that his chambers could not be compelled to do so as Article 145 of the federal constitution states that it was non-justiciable.

No one could question his chamber’s decision to prosecute/appeal or not, Abdul Gani said.

Malaysia’s judiciary has drawn fire of late, in particular over several constitutional cases related to the overthrow of the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak.

Several landmark rulings have been sharply criticised and there is widespread cynicism that the courts here have indeed bowed to pressure from Najib, who has resorted to all all ways and means to cling to power.