Malaysia Crime Watch

21 January 2009
Shah Alam

Continuing in the High Court trial of the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri denied the proposition made by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah that he had shown Chief Inspector Koh Fei Cheow and his team the murder site in Puncak Alam where Altantuya was allegedly shot and blown up.

Instead, Azilah told the court that Koh and two other police officers had brought him to the murder scene. Although he admitted to having spotted some traces of a fire there, he told Tun Majid that he did not see any bone fragments at all.

Later, when Tun Majid showed Azilah several crime scene photographs which were tendered by the prosecution, the latter looked puzzled and said they did not resemble the scene where he was taken to.

The High Court judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin also questioned Azilah on the point that there were closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) operating at the Hotel Malaya where Altantuya was staying. Azilah said he did not know of such CCTVs until he and Azhar entered the hotel.

Azilah’s lawyer, Datuk Hazman Ahmad then announced that Azilah has finished giving his testimony and there would not be any other defence witnesses to be called.

32-year-old Azilah and 37-year-old Azhar, both members of the Special Action Squad, are charged with murdering 28-year-old Altantuya Shaariibuu, at Mukim Bukit Raja, Selangor. 47-year-old political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was acquitted last October of abetting them.

Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, Azhar’s lawyer, caused a small stir in court when he made a request to prepare a written statement for Azhar, who will be testifying next. He also requested for the prosecution to hand over DSP Musa Safri’s police statement and the categories of short messages that were previously not examined in court to prepare for his client’s defence.

The Star Online – I had no reason to kill her, says Azilah
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/21/courts/3077898&sec=courts>

New Straits Times Online – Altantuya Murder Trial: Azilah: I did not see any bones at crime scene
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/2458980/Article/index_html>

New Straits Times Online – Altantuya Murder Trial: `Razak said she was Chinese’
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/2458999/Article/index_html>

MCW – Altantuya Murder Trial: Azhar Denies Being at Murder Scene
<URL:http://malaysiacrimewatch.lokety.com/altantuya-murder-trial-azhar-denies-being-at-murder-scene/>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, shah alam, murder, trial, death, altantuya, shaariibuu, altantuya shaariibuu, abdul razak baginda, baginda, azilah hadri, sirul azhar

20 January 2009
Shah Alam

Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri said in High Court yesterday that he did not go to Puncak Alam with Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar to murder Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu and denied being at the murder site on 19 October 2006 between 10:43pm and 11:28pm.

The two, both from the Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK), are charged with murdering 28-year-old Altantuya and have started giving their defence in court since early this month.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah also asked if Azilah had spoken to Azhar on the night of the murder to finalise on the plans to murder the woman and if Azhar had sent Altantuya to her hotel that day. Azilah denied both statements.

Azilah did admit that he was armed with his issued weapon when he met co-accused Abdul Razak Baginda on 18 October 2006, but had left it in his office cabinet when he returned to the Bukit Aman police headquarters. As such, he said he was not carrying his weapon when he went to look for Altantuya at Hotel Malaya.

Razak was charged with abetment of the murder but has been acquitted without his defence being called.

When questioned by Azhar’s lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, Azhar admitted that he had communicated with Razak and DSP Musa Mohd Safri between 20 and 22 October 2006. Although he admitted that he had received 10 missed calls from Razak on 21 October 2006 morning, he denied several times that he had spoken to nor received a short message from Razak. Azhar did admit that he had spoken to DSP Musa for three times and saw a missed call from him on 21 October 2006 at 9:40am.

Hearing continues before judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin.

The Star Online – Accused denies being at murder scene
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/20/courts/3062602&sec=courts>

The Star Online – Altantuya trial: ‘I had no motive’
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/20/nation/20090120162652&sec=nation>

New Straits Times Online – Altantuya Murder Trial: Azilah claims ignorance
<URL:http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/2457807/Article/index_html>

MCW – Altantuya Murder Trial: Azilah Denies Intention to Kill
<URL:http://malaysiacrimewatch.lokety.com/altantuya-murder-trial-azilah-denies-intention-to-kill/>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, shah alam, murder, trial, death, altantuya, shaariibuu, altantuya shaariibuu, abdul razak baginda, baginda, azilah hadri, sirul azhar

19 January 2009
Kajang

The infamous Indonesian armed robbery gang known as the “Ronald Gang” has been finally crippled by the police who shot dead three members near the Sungai Ramal toll plaza on Monday.

The gang was known for breaking into homes of VIPs in Malacca, Kajang Perdana, Country Heights, Ampang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Pahang and Johor. For two years, they would also assault and rape victims in at least 50 of such cases.

Selangor police were following five men in a stolen silver Proton Waja from Salak South following a tip-off at 2:05am. When they approached the suspects at a turn-off near the toll plaza, the suspects fired two gun shots at the police. A shootout ensued and resulted in the gang’s 40-year-old leader and two accomplices aged 27 and 30 years old being shot dead. The other two suspects escaped on foot.

In the stolen vehicle, police found a home-made .32 revolver, six bullets, a sickle, two screwdrivers, a wire cutter and a crowbar.

The Star Online – Three Indonesian armed gang robbers shot dead
<URL:http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/1/19/nation/20090119095620&sec=nation>

Technorati Tags: malaysia crime, malaysia, crime, kajang, salak south, robbery, indonesian, ronald gang, armed robbery, shots fired, dead