Altantuya case: July 5 fixed for hearing on Azilah’s application

(Bernama) – The Court of Appeal will hear on July 5 the application by Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri to put in additional grounds in his petition of appeal.

The date was fixed by the court’s deputy registrar N. Kanageswari when the case came up for case management before her in chambers today.

Azilah, 34, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 39, were convicted and sentenced to death by the Shah Alam High Court in 2009 for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu at Mukim Raja between 9.45pm on October 18, 2006, and 9.45pm the following day.

Their appeals are scheduled to be heard on August 27 and 28.

There are 43 grounds in Azilah’s petition of appeal.

Azilah was represented by lawyer J. Kuldeep Kumar while Sirul Azhar was represented by lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican. Deputy public prosecutors K. Mangai and Farah Ezlin Yusop Khan appeared for the prosecution.

On April 30 this year, the Court of Appeal allowed Sirul Azhar’s application to add six grounds to the existing nine grounds in his petition of appeal.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 50, had been charged with abetting the duo, who were commandos with the police’s elite Special Action Squad, in Altantuya’s murder.

He was freed by the High Court on October 31, 2008, without his defence being called.