PKR: Ex-cops should be re-tried for Altantuya murder, not acquitted

File photo of ex-policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar (heads covered). The Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on August 23, 2013 overturned their conviction of murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The Court of Appeal should have ordered a retrial of the high-profile murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shariibuu, instead of acquitting two former police commandos previously convicted of her killing, PKR’s R. Sivarasa said today.

The Subang MP stressed that the appellate court is empowered to do so, especially when there was a number of key witnesses who were not called during the High Court trial that led to the duo’s conviction in 2009.

“Even if the Court of Appeal found defects in the manner the High Court judge analysed the evidence and in the conduct of the prosecution in presenting the case, the proper order to make in this case was to order a retrial and not grant an acquittal,” Sivarasa told reporters here.

“There is ample power under the law in Section 60 of the Courts Judicature Act 1964 to order a retrial which is regularly done in appeals.”

In a decision that stirred controversy yesterday, a three-man panel of the appellate court unanimously ruled that Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar be allowed to appeal their charges.

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Winners and losers in the Altantuya saga

Altantuya Shaariibuu, the former Mongolian model whose life was ended brutally in Malaysia, but no one faces justice for the crime. August 24, 2013.


The murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu has had more twists and turns than a drive up Cameron Highlands, the latest being Friday's acquittal of policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar.

This has never been a simple criminal case, and today, The Malaysian Insider looks at those who have had their reputations hammered by the case and those who have been let off easy.



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ALTANTUYA MURDER CHARGE: Two ex-policemen acquitted by Court of Appeal

In this Feb 4, 2009 archive picture, Koperal Sirul Azhar Umar (second from right) and Chief Inspektor Azilah Hadri (left) being led out of Shah Alam High Court



Two former Bukit Aman Special Forces Unit officers today succeeded in their appeal against their conviction for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuyaa Shaariibuu seven years ago.

A three member bench led by Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali allowed the appeal in the Court of Appeal here this morning.

First appellant Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri's fiancee of seven years, Norazila Baharudin, 35, was in tears when she heard the verdict.

"For seven years, we have been through so much. It is not easy for one to stay in prison," she said when met outside the court today.

Smiling while wiping away tears, Norazila, who is an operation manager at a construction firm, said she is extremely grateful to the hard work and effort put in by her fiancee's counsel Datuk Hazman Ahmad.

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Pakatan MPs demand A-G explain after ex-cops walk from Altantuya murder

Surendran ( R )said that despite Altantuya’s death over six years ago, no one has been brought to book for the murder. Gobind ( L ) said the Attorney-General must explain why it failed to call material witnesses in support of its case.


The Attorney-General must explain how his prosecutors allowed two former police commandos to go free for the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu after the Court of Appeal today reversed the 2009 conviction, Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers demanded.

The Court of Appeal overturned Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar’s 2009 conviction of the high-profile murder of the Mongolian woman, reportedly ruling that there was a misdirection by the High Court judge in the trial then.

The DAP’s Gobind Singh Deo said Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail must now answer for the prosecution team’s failure to ensure a safe conviction.

“The A-G must explain why is it they failed to call material witnesses in support of their case in this prosecution,” Puchong MP said.

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Azilah, Sirul freed of Altantuya murder charge

Sirul Azhar's lawyer, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, speaking to the media outside the court. The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, August 23, 2013.

Two former police commandos were freed today after the Court of Appeal allowed their appeal and overturned their conviction for the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu (pic).

A three-member bench comprising judges Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali, Datuk Linton Albert and Datuk Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat made the unanimous decision to allow the appeal by former chief inspector Azilah Hadri and former corporal Sirul Azhar Umar.

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Bring it on, police tells gangs

The police have sent a clear message to gangsters challenging the forcea - Bring it on...as gangster parade slain gang member funeral in roads and spray graffiti in police station wall.

Funeral for slain gangsters in Penang brings traffic to a standstill

The funeral processions for slain gangsters in Penang bring traffic to a standstill as many youths on motorcycles accompanied the hearses along the way to the crematorium.

Home minister denies cops behind murder attempt on crime buster

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi rubbished today talk of the police being responsible for the shooting of crime watchdog activist, R. Sri Sandeevan, who is now battling for his life in a Negri Sembilan hospital.

The home minister, who oversees the police force, was prompted to defend the men in blue after a their former boss, retired Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan had suggested dirty officers were behind yesterday's shooting incident in a bid to silence Sanjeevan.

"I know Sanjeevan personally and I will make sure that there are no police involved in the incident," Ahmad Zahid (picture) was quoted by The Malaysian Insider news portal as telling reporters after breaking fast at the Sungai Buloh prison.

The minister vowed he would step up investigations on the shooting and haul in the culprits that had put a bullet into Sanjeevan.

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PKR’s Rafizi says met with MyWatch chief prior to shooting

PKR's strategy chief disclosed today he had met with R. Sri Sanjeevan last week to talk about a possible expose on dirty policemen with underworld links in the wake of yesterday's shooting incident that has the MyWatch chairman now fighting for his life in a Negri Sembilan hospital.

Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli, 35, revealed this afternoon in a series of posts on his Twitter account, @rafiziramli, that he had met with Sanjeevan last Friday after the 29-year-old had asked for help to bring to light several policemen who allegedly had links with drug syndicates.

"I met @SanjeevanSS on Friday night. He talked abt a list of drug related offences, wanted me to expose. I said will look at it later.

"I am extremely shocked to find out he was shot. @SanjeevanSS was on the right trail of something and information he has is genuine," the opposition lawmaker tweeted.


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Fugitive inspector in Dhamendran case surrenders

Fugitive police inspector Hari Krishnan Subramaniam (pic) surrendered to police this morning. He was wanted in connection with the murder of detainee N Dhamendran.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the Inspector from the Kuala Lumpur police's serious crimes division turned up with his lawyer at 10am.

He is expected to be charged tomorrow with the murder of Dhamendran.

Hari Krishnan had been listed as "wanted" after he failed to return from his leave while under investigations into Dhamendran's murder.

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Cops not behind MyWatch chief’s shooting, says MIC CWC member

A close friend of MyWatch founder and head R Sri Sanjeevan is certain that police are not behind his shooting yesterday.

MIC central working committee (CWC) member G Kumar Aamaan said the Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (pic) has been helpful to Sanjeevan.

"The police, before and after Sanjeevan started receiving death threats, have been helpful. So I can only say no way police are accomplices to this doing," Kumar Aamaan told .



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IGP vows to probe MyWatch chief’s shooting - Crime watchdog chief to undergo surgery, security tightened at Seremban hospital

The Inspector General of Police, wishing critically injured MyWatch chief R Sri Sanjeevan a speedy recovery, has vowed to launch a thorough probe into his shooting and Bukit Aman will be ordered to monitor it.

Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director will personally supervise the investigations.

“Bukit Aman will be closely monitoring Sanjeevan’s shooting case in Bahau. Director CID will personally supervise,” Khalid tweeted in this twitter handle @KBAB51 today.




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Anti-crime watchdog chief battling for life after being shot by gunman

Mywatch president R. Sanjeevan undergoing treatment at Jempol Hospital.

Gunmen targeting on the chairman of anti-crime watchdog, MyWatch, made an attempt on his life yesterday.
R. Sri Sanjeevan, who was shot at close range at 4.30pm yesterday at Taman Cempaka, Bahau, was at press time was in a critical state.

Jempol police chief Supt Hamzah Alias said Sanjeevan had gone out with his friend, Ramesh Balakrishnan, 35, for a drink after picking up the latter at his house.

“The two were in Sanjeevan’s silver BMW when he (Sanjeevan) stopped at a junction near Taman Awana Indah and wound down the car window for a smoke.

“Two assailants on a red motorcycle rode up next to him. The pillion rider then fired a shot at Sanjeevan’s right rib,” he told the New Sunday Times when contacted last night.

He said the pillion rider then got off the motorcycle and walked towards Sanjeevan but Sanjeevan managed to speed off despite having sustained a gunshot wound.


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Girlfriend lodges report on behalf of fugitive cop

The girlfriend of fugitive cop S. Hare Krishnan, who is wanted over the death of detainee N. Dhamendran, has lodged a police report on his behalf, claiming he was framed.

In a text reply to The Malay Mail, City CID Chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah confirmed that a police report had been made on June 1 at the Brickfields police station in Kuala Lumpur by the girlfriend, who is currently Hare Krishnan’s spokesperson.

The message read: “We have investigated his report independently, and the results of the investigation have been forwarded to the investigating officer of Dhamendran’s death.”

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Hare Krishnan’s claim that he was innocent and that he had been dragged into the case to “protect certain parties”.

A copy of the report obtained by Malaysiakini apparently states that Hare Krishnan had not been in the Dang Wangi police station lock-up on the day Dhamendran died, following horrific torture.

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Kuala Besut by-election: EC shows voters how to dip finger into indelible ink

The Election Commission on Thursday carried out a demonstration on how voters should dip their index finger into the indelible ink during the Kuala Besut by-election.

The demonstration showed that a voter should dip their left finger into the bottle of indelible ink and use the edge of the bottle to get rid of the excess liquid.

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EC cleaning up electoral rolls, says it will issue regular reports

Stung by repeated criticisms over tainted electoral rolls, the Election Commission (EC) has formed an internal committee to clean up the voter lists with the first report to be released later this month.

EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar (pic) said the committee began work after the May 5 general elections and would ensure the rolls for the next elections would be reliable and free from controversy.

"It is the EC's main priority to review the electoral rolls which has been said to be problematic by certain quarters.

"EC officials from all states are working together to clean up the electoral rolls and the committee will issue a report this month and from time to time," Wan Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur.

Electoral watchdog Bersih 2.0 and other civil groups have been asking for the rolls to be cleaned up since Election 2008, after allegations surfaced of phantom voters and foreigners in the lists based on identity cards issued by the National Registration Department.

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It’s official, Pakatan goes to court to dismiss all GE13 results

Pakatan Rakyat today went for the jugular – asking the High Court to set aside results of all 222 parliamentary seats in GE13, disband the discredited Election Commission and order fresh polls.

This unprecedented move, probably the first in any Commonwealth country, was made necessary because the indelible ink fiasco caused massive cheating, destroyed the integrity of GE13, and deprived the opposition pact of a legitimate opportunity to form the federal government of Malaysia, said Pakatan Rakyat in a suit which was filed this morning.

It noted that some 30 parliamentary seats were lost by Pakatan Rakyat by fewer than 10 per cent of the votes.

“Therefore even if a small percentage of dishonest voters were able to wrongfully vote more than once because of the deliberate failure of the EC to implement indelible ink, they were sufficient to affect the results in a significant number of seats,” said the opposition in a statement of claim.


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6 win suit over arrest, detention in 2007 Read more: 6 win suit over arrest, detention in 2007

5 lawyers and 1 activist receive RM10,000 each

KUALA LUMPUR: FIVE lawyers and an activist were awarded RM10,000 each after they won a suit against the police and government over wrongful arrest and detention during a walk to mark the World Human Rights Day in 2007.

High Court judge Datuk John Louis O'Hara yesterday allowed the civil suit filed by lawyers R. Sivarasa, N. Surendran, Latheefa Koya, Eric Paulsen, Amer Hamzah Arshad and activist Johny Andu @ Abu Bakar Adnan, ruling that their arrest and subsequent detention by the police were illegal.

In the suit filed on Dec 8, 2010, the plaintiffs had named the then Dang Wangi police deputy chief Superintendent Che Hamzah Che Ismail, inspector-general of police, home ministry and the government as defendants.

Hijacked patrol car found 12 hours later, weapon recovered

The police patrol car that was recovered 12 hours after it was hijacked by a suspected snatch thief

A police patrol car which was hijacked by a suspected snatch thief in Kamunting, North Perak earlier today, was found in Juru here about 12 hours later.

The patrol car was found abandoned in Taman Seri Mangga here about 9pm, together with the police-issued MP5 sub-machinegun and its four magazines.

The 32-year-old suspect, identified as Muhamad Hafiz Saidin from Pokok Tampang, Tasek Gelugor in Seberang Perai Utara had gone missing.

A passer-by who spotted the patrol car alerted the local volunteer patrol team who immediately contacted the police.

Policemen from the Seberang Perai Tengah district police headquarters and the forensic team rushed to the scene to cordon the area and scoured for evidence.

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Suspect escapes in police car

A 32-year-old suspect lunged forward from the back seat of a patrol car, pushed out a policeman who was about to start the engine and made a daring escape.

He sped off in the patrol car from Kamunting, Taiping, and was believed have headed north.

A manhunt is on to track down the suspect.

The brazen escape took place in Kampung Pak Dollah at 7.45am yesterday, minutes after policemen had put the man in the back seat.

Taiping OCPD Asst Comm Yusof Diah said villagers spotted the “suspicious man” sleeping inside a lorry at about 7.30am.

“The villagers caught him and called the police. A patrol car with two personnel rushed to the scene to investigate.

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