Malaysia Crime Watch

2 August 2007
Shah Alam

The High Court yesterday ruled that the statement made by accused Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar on the place where murder victim Altantuya Shaariibuu was blown up as not admissible evidence.

Prosecution witness ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin told the court that Azhar had told the police that he “can show where the woman was blasted”. Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin agreed with Azhar’s counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin that Azhar’s statement could not be admitted into court. Azhar allegedly said that when he was taken to the crime scene in Puncak Alam on 6 November 2006.

Zulkarnain said Azhar disclosed that he could show the police Altantuya’s jewellery during an interrogation session at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on 7 November 2006. Zulkarnain made a police report at 2:30pm the same day, which read, in part, “”I (Azhar) could show the jewellery which belonged to the woman whom I shot at a forest area. The valuables are kept at my house in Kota Damansara”.

Zulkarnain, who was the 23rd prosecution witness of this trial, then said that Azhar said to him: “I kept the jewellery in this jacket”. When Zulkarnain asked him if the black jacket in the closet was the one that he was referring to, Azhar nodded and pointed to the jewellery. Zulkarnain and several police officers had gone to Azhar’s apartment to allegedly retrieve Altantuya’s belongings.

When Zulkarnain arrived at the apartment, a group of men were outside. One of them introduced himself as DSP Yusri from the Special Task Force (UTK), of which Azhar was formerly a member of. He told Zulkarnain that he was there to take some items which belonged to his team. Zulkarnain replied that he could only proceed after their investigations.

Zulkarnain, Azhar and the investigating officers then went into Azhar’s apartment where the jacket was found, together with a Larmes watch, a gold ring with a stone, and a pair of earrings. These items were handed to investigating officer ASP Tonny Lunggan.

Mohd Zaki then adjourned the trial to today for the counsels to submit whether a trial-within-a trial was necessary to expunge the statements which the counsels have objected to as they amounted to Azhar confessing to the murder charge.

New Straits Times – Altantuya murder trial: Court rules accused’s statement inadmissible
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/Frontpage/20070802074824/Article/index_html>

MCW – Another Interrogator’s Testimony May Be Expunged in Altantuya Trial
<URL:http://malaysiacrimewatch.lokety.com/another-interrogators-testimony-may-be/>

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