Tuesday June 24, 2008

Altantuya Trial: Prosecution wraps up case

By CECIL FUNG

SHAH ALAM: After 124 days, the prosecution finally wrapped up its case in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial.

Justice Mohd Zaki Md Yasin said he would hear submissions on July 23.

Lead prosecutor DPP Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah closed the case yesterday at the conclusion of the third and final trial-within-a-trial of the case to determine the admissibility of a portion of evidence given by a police officer.

He informed Justice Mohd Zaki that the prosecution was offering 144 witnesses to the defence.

In the high profile case, Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK) operatives C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar are charged with murdering the 28-year-old Mongolian translator between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 two years ago in Mukim Bukit Raja, here.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda is accused of abetting them.

The prosecution and defence will submit on five matters. They are on the:

> ADMISSIBILITY of Asst Supt Zulkarnain Samsudin’s testimony that Kpl Sirul Azhar had led police to recover Altantuya’s jewellery from his Kota Damansara flat and had pointed at them there;

> ADMISSIBILITY of the testimony given by C/Insp Koh Fei Cheow that he obtained information from C/Insp Azilah that led police to the crime scene in Puncak Alam;

> IMPEACHMENT proceedings against star witness L/Kpl Rohaniza Roslan – C/Insp Azilah’s old flame – over contradictions between her testimony and the statement she gave police after she was detained for investigations;

> IMPEACHMENT proceedings against UTK Deputy Supt Mohd Yusri Hasan Basri over his testimony which contradicted his police statement; and

> THE main trial itself.

At the end of submissions, Justice Mohd Zaki will decide whether to order C/Insp Azilah, 32, Kpl Sirul Azhar, 37, and Abdul Razak, 48, to enter their defence.

The case, one of the most talked about in recent years, first captured the public’s attention in early November 2006, when the press reported the gruesome killing in which the deceased’s body was blown up using explosives.

Subsequently, the UTK operatives were charged with the murder on Nov 15, 2006 while the political analyst, who later admitted to have had an affair with the deceased, was charged a day later with abetment.