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Friday, August 23, 2013

Altantuya acquittals draw netizens’ outrage, ridicule

What do ex-police commandos Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar look like? Why was DSP Musa Safri not called to testify?

These were the two common questions asked in cyberspace as netizens went on a frenzy commenting on the acquital of the two policemen in the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The mood is also that following today's decision, there are endless possibilities on what could have happened to Altantuya in the case which put Malaysia on the world map for the wrong reasons.

And the question remains in cyberspace, who killed Altantuya?

The comments posted online were mostly laced with sarcasm with one netizen Isana saying: "Wow! If that is the case, Altantuya must still be alive since no one killed her. ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES only in 1Malaysia."

Another, rayfire, commented, "Yes, Endless possibilities to cheat, murder and escape! Justice must and will be served by the Almighty".

Others are wondering if the public will ever know what Azilah and Sirul look like.

"They had their faces covered from Day 1, when they were taken in and out of court," said MrM.

"How come those two have been allowed to cover their faces since day 1? Is it so that when they are freed no one will know who they are or what they look like? Heck even if they are not freed, no one will know if it was really them that were hanged since no one knows what they look like! *conspiracy theory*"

Others expressed disappointment in the justice system that ordered the acquittal although they said it was expected.

Netizen Angel took a dig at Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail for "purposely not calling DSP Musa to the stand".

"AG do not know how to conduct the case. He purposely did not call musa safri, ADO of najib. He will follow the command of najib .Your guess is as good as mine," Angel said in a comment.

The prosecution did not call Musa, a point which was raised by the Court of Appeal in the judgment today, that "material witnesses were not called to testify, including Musa".

Altantuya had allegedly become political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's lover but later hounded him, demanding a hefty commission for allegedly helping in the purchase of two submarines for Malaysia.

Razak Baginda then hired private investigator P. Balasubramaniam to keep watch on her when she came to Malaysia.

When Altantuya turned up outside Razak Baginda's house on October 19, 2006, the policemen took her away and that was the last time she was seen alive.

Netizen Justice Pao commented: "Truly disgraceful! Altantunya was not murdered, so she must have strangled herself and shot herself behind her head using a special contraption, then use C4 to blow herself up!"

Longjaafar posted: "Some time ago, someone said that Anwar Ibrahim punched his own face. Same here. Altantuya bombed herself."

Many netizens also expressed their condolences to Altantuya's father, Dr Setev Shaariibuu, who they said "must be the saddest man on earth today". - August 23, 2013.

More related news ---------------------

Malaysia court overturns police murder convictions

By M Jegathesan (AFP)

KUALA LUMPUR — A Malaysian court Friday overturned a 2009 murder conviction for two police officers in a scandal that has fascinated the nation and saw critics try to draw a link to Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar were convicted of the 2006 killing of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28-year-old model and interpreter at the centre of allegations of huge kickbacks in a government purchase of French submarines.

Their acquittal led activists to call for an independent inquiry to reopen the case into who killed the woman and her link, if any, to the submarine deal.

Defence lawyer Hazman Ahmad told AFP that "justice has been done".

"Both the accused have been acquitted and discharged. They are free men now."

Prosecutors said the government would appeal the decision.

Government critics have long alleged that the two men, members of an elite police unit that guards top ministers, were the fall guys in the killing to hide the involvement of their masters at the highest levels of government.

A three-judge appeals panel ruled that a lower court had erred, for example failing to connect the men to explosives used to blow up the victim's body, the news portal Malaysian Insider said.

The decision triggered an immediate reaction on Malaysian social media, with many calling it part of a conspiracy to free the men in return for their silence.

Cynthia Gabriel, a member of opposition-leaning human rights group Suaram, called for an independent inquiry to question all those implicated, including the prime minister.

"It's a completely shocking verdict," she told AFP. "This really calls now for a full and thorough investigation into her death. Who killed her?"

"I think the justice system is not ready to deal with all the elements of this case."

Najib has vehemently denied any involvement in the affair, but the government has repeatedly ignored calls for a probe.

At the request of Suaram, French judicial officials opened an investigation in March 2010 into the sale of the two submarines, which were made by French shipbuilder giant DCNS.

The inquiry is ongoing.

The case stems from charges that Abdul Razak Baginda, a former close associate of Najib, arranged kickbacks in the $1.1-billion purchase of the submarines in 2002.

Najib was defence minister at the time.

Altantuya, who was then Abdul Razak's lover, had reportedly been involved in negotiations over the purchase.

Abdul Razak was charged with ordering the two officers to kill her after she allegedly harassed him for a cut of the kickbacks.

Abdul Razak, who is no relation to the prime minister, was acquitted in 2008.

Altantuya was shot and her body blown apart with military-grade explosives in a jungle clearing near the capital Kuala Lumpur.

Najib's office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Sirul Azhar was quoted by The Star newspaper saying: "I intend to try to live a normal life when I get out."

He has been previously quoted telling a court that he was being "sacrificed" to protect others. But the men are not known to have implicated anyone else.

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