Sirul Azhar's lawyer says no knowledge of his client's whereabouts

PUTRAJAYA - "I have no idea, I have no knowledge, I cannot confirm that," replied lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin when asked whether he had knowledge that his client, Police Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar who failed to turn up in court Tuesday, was overseas.

When contacted, he said he heard rumours that his client was abroad but he could not confirm that.

Outside the court, he told reporters that his client had last contacted him a week after the hearing of appeal in the Federal Court in June, last year.

"I absolutely did not know his whereabouts, so I cannot confirm where he is now. After that, we did not have any more contact. You can't speculate where he is," said Kamarul Hisham when asked by reporters whether his client was still in the country or overseas.

Asked on his next course of action over his client's disappearance, the lawyer said there was nothing he could do as the court would issue a warrant of arrest on Sirul and the police would serve it to Sirul and arrest him.

The Federal Court, Tuesday issued a warrant of arrest on Sirul who did not turn up in court after allowing Deputy Public Prosecutor Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah's request for the court to issue the warrant.

In criminal proceedings, the accused person should be present in court when his case is called up in court.

The Federal Court, Tuesday overturned the acquittal of two Special Action Unit (UTK) personnel, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 38, and Sirul, 43, for the murder of Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, and sentenced them to the gallows.

Federal Court Judge Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar, who read out the judgement, said the court set aside the acquittal of the two policemen for the murder and restored the decision of the Shah Alam High Court which had found them guilty of the murder and sentenced them to death.

Asked whether he would file a review against the apex court's verdict, Kamarul Hisham said he would consider doing so after reading the written judgement.

"We will consider filing a review after reading the full grounds of judgment. Even though there is limitation on the scope of review, we will consider it," explained Kamarul Hisham.

Azilah's lawyer, Datuk Hazman Abdullah said he had yet to discuss with his client on whether to file a review against Tuesday's ruling.

He said Azilah would be sent to the Kajang prison.

In an immediate response, Tun Abdul Majid said he had nothing much to say except that the prosecution was glad the case was now over and their hard work paid off.

He said the court had sent a notice to Sirul Azhar on Jan 6, informing him of the date of the decision.

--BERNAMA