By JAMES HOOKWAY
A Malaysian court acquitted a key aide of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of abetting the murder of a Mongolian woman in 2006.
The verdict could ease political pressure on Mr. Najib as he prepares to assume Malaysia’s premiership next year. But it is also likely to reignite public criticism over the independence and competence of Malaysia’s police, prosecutors and judiciary.
High Court Justice Mohamed Zaki Mohamed Yasin ruled Friday that government prosecutors had failed to establish a prima facie case against 48 year-old Abdul Razak Baginda, a prominent political analyst and close friend and adviser to Mr. Najib.
Mr. Abdul Razak, who is married, had been charged with abetting the killing of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a 28 year-old Mongolian translator and part-time model with whom he admitted he had an eight-month affair. Mr. Abdul Razak would have faced a possible death sentence had he been convicted.
Together with Mr. Abdul Razak, two Malaysian police officers – members of an elite force assigned to Mr. Najib’s personal security detail — were also on trial for allegedly killing Ms. Shaariibuu and then blowing up her body with military-grade plastic explosives.
The court ordered their trial, which began almost two years ago, to proceed and requested the two police officers to submit their defense against the murder charge.
During the 151 day-long trial, the prosecution had argued that Mr. Abdul Razak had ordered the Mongolian woman’s murder when she allegedly hounded him for money after he broke off their affair in 2005. His acquittal appears to leave the prosecution without an alternative motive for the murder allegedly carried out by the police officers.
Mr. Najib’s political opponents have persistently tried to implicate him in the murder investigation, even as he prepared to take over leadership of Malaysia’s ruling National Front government. Mr. Najib is expected to replace Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as premier in March 2009.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim – himself facing trial on charges of sodomy, a crime in Malaysia – earlier this year presented a private investigator, who offered a sworn statement saying that Mr. Abdul Razak had informed him that Mr. Najib had also had an affair with Ms. Shaariibuu. The investigator, P. Balasubramaniam, later retracted his statement and went into hiding.
Prominent antigovernment blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin, who is currently imprisoned, has also repeatedly attempted to link Mr. Najib to the murder case in his popular website Malaysia Today. Mr. Petra was arrested without charges under Malaysia’s Internal Security Act in September, allegedly for insulting the Islamic religion.
Mr. Najib has denied ever having met Ms. Shaariibuu or having anything to do with her murder.
Mr. Abdul Razak’s acquittal appears set to fuel a new round of allegations of political interference in police investigations and the judicial system, which for years has faced accusations that it protects the country’s powerful politicians.
“There is growing perception that the investigation was not done professionally. There is a clear motive to cover up — a lot of evidence was not adduced,” opposition leader Mr. Anwar told local reporters Friday. “The prosecution has failed to conduct the case professionally from the beginning.”
Mr. Anwar has contended that allegations of sodomy against him – which he denies – were fabricated to destroy his political career. He was convicted and jailed on similar charges a decade ago before his conviction was later overturned on appeal.
The Mongolian murder trial has also been controversial and studded with false starts and miscues. Early on, the original judge assigned to the trail was replaced and the prosecution team changed. Testimony from some of the more than 80 witnesses called by the prosecution was vague and sometimes contradictory and some evidence was barred from submission or ruled invalid.
Ms. Shaariibuu’s father, who was present at the verdict, told reporters he wasn’t satisfied. “My daughter is dead and [Mr. Abdul Razak] is free,” Shaariibuu Setev told reporters at the court. “The country has lost credibility in the world.”
Mr. Abdul Razak declined to speak to reporters after his acquittal.
THIS IS EXPECTED, DSAI AND RAJA PETRA CAN TELL YOU THIS. TO CONVICT RAZAK IS TO MAKE HIM SPILL THE BEANS ON HIS MASTER WHEN HIS NECK IS ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE WHEN HIS MASTER IS ON THE BRINK OF ATTAINING GLORY. ISN’T IT TIMELY THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW CJ COINCIDES WITH THE COURT’S RULING? WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK?
Donald Duck Reply:
November 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 am
I agree …!!!
ape lagi ini ler masa utk menyelamatkan najis, tapi tunggu ler jgn harap lu bebas……… masa utk siki ajer najis!
if razak baginda can go free i wonder how many hardcore criminals have gone free for their crimes.justice in this country its at the lowest at the moment and motivate criminals to be more brave and ruthless
Tak pe itu mahkamah dunia…
Mahkamah ALlah nanti, tau lah siapa yang salah.
“the truth will prevail eventually”
altantuya flew (like a bird) from monggolia to malaysia alone, while reaching shah alam she was strike by lightning and was blown apart like blown to pieces with C4. bits and pieces of her body then landed in some bushes in puncak alam where her body was found. that’s the real story.
judge : that’s why there is no immigration records on her.
judge : she was striked by lightning not blown up by C4.
judge : so it’s an act of GOD. all discharged. case closed.
Malaysia Boleh. no wonder shah rukh khan got a datukship.
Linda Reply:
October 31st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
haha. Great story. Creative. All the best pakatan rakyat.
Gogensan Reply:
October 31st, 2008 at 8:48 pm
‘You can run, but you cannot hide’
joe-kedah Reply:
October 31st, 2008 at 10:40 pm
KINI ABD RAZAK BAGINDA BOLIH BERLAPANG DADA DENGAN ANAK ISTERINYA SETELAH DIA DIBEBASKAN OLIH MAHKAMAH HARI INI. MAHKAMAH TELAH MEMUTUSKAN BAHAWA BELIAU TIDAK TERLIBAT DALAM KES INI. BOLIH LAH RAZAK BAGINDA BERMUNAJAD KEHADRAT ALLAH DAN SEMBAHYANG SYUKUR ATAS DIA DIBEBASKAN. WALAU PUN KES INI MASIH DITERUSKAN DENGAN DUA ORANG TERTUDUH LAGI DAN DUA ORANG SAKSI PENTING RAZAK BAGINDA BOLIH MENARIK NAFAS LEGA.
rentetan kes yang berlarutan sehingga 151 hari perbicaraan yang melibatkan saksi yang ramai, mungkin melibatkan perbelanjaan yang banyak, peguam juga ramai, peguam pemerhati juga ramai, kes ini melibatkan seorang wanita mongolia yang come lote, sudah menjadi buah mulut jutaan rakyat malaysia, juga menjadi susah hati, gelisah, tak keruan kepada keluarga tertuduh. Kita harap keluarga-keluarga terlibat dapat bersabar menanti keputusan dari hakim yang bijaksana, jika hakim tak adil, tak bijaksana, tempatnya NERAKA JAHANAM DIAKHIRAT KELAK ATAU ALLAH AKAN TUNAIKAN DIDUNIA YANG FANA INI.
Kerana Blog ini blog DSAI, saya berpandangan, dalam kes ini ada beberapa persoalan yang mungkin perlu diberi perhatian dan diteliti dengan ketenangan dan bijaksana:-
1. Kita sudah sedia maklum, Razak Baginda adalah seorang pengarah strategik dan penulis ucapan Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Hubungan kedua-dua individu ini memang tidak dinafikan keakraban mereka.Mungkin dalam kes ini, kita perlu mengkaji, Sejak bila dia mengenali wanita mongolia ini?. Saluran mana yang membolihkan beliau membawa wanita mongolia ini keMalaysia, kerana rekod kemasukannya kemalaysia tidak diketahui letak kat mana. Hanya pegawai Imigrisen dan ketua pengarahnya yang lebih arif dalam hal ini atau pun wanita ini masuk kemalaysia melalui hutan bakau tepi pantai atau pakai payong terjun turun dan landing dipuncak Gunong tahan atau Genting Haigland. Fakta kehilangan dokumen kemasukan wanita ini kemalaysia telah menjadi tandatanya kepada seluruh rakyat malaysia, betapa lemahnya kawalan dipintu masuk kenegara kita. Jika ini dipalsukan olih individu terlibat, jawab lah sendiri diakhirat kelak.
2. Kini kita telah sedia dimaklumkan olih media, AZILA DAN SIRUL, kena bela diri. Kita amat simpati dengan seluruh keluarga mereka berdua. Sekarang ini keluarga mereka dalam keadaan tertekan, pandangan masyarakat setempat, pandangan rakyat malaysia, imej pasukan polis diraja malaysia. Dalam hal ini, pandangan masyarakat setempat lah yang mereka depani sekarang, kerana masyarakat akan tohmah, nak kenal itu lah anu, anu, yang bunoh atantuya dengan c4 tu. Dimana nak letak muka dia orang?. Persoalan yang timbul dalam hal ini ialah, Jika benar kedua-dua merekalah yang membunoh, adakah atas niat HATI KERING mereka, atas sebab apa mereka membunoh, adakah ada mulut-mulut dan tangan-tangan yang mengarah mereka melakukan perbuatan terkutuk ini, atau ada tangan lain yang memulakan episod ini kemudian mereka ini cuma ditugaskan untuk menghancur leraikan saja mayat itu?. Jika benar mereka mengikut arahan, siapa yang mengarahkan mereka melakukannya?. Dalam hal ini, kedua-dua individu ini mesti ikhlas, jika sayangkan nyawa ketali gantung, semasa membela diri wajib mendedahkan perkara sebenarnya. Dunia tidak akan mengutuk diatas perbuatan itu, tetapi dunia akan mengutuk perancang utamanya.
3. Dari berita yang dilihat pada petang ini juga, mahkamah akan memanggil 2 orang saksi penting dalam kes ini, iaitu RPK dan BALA. Yang menjadi persoalan sekarang, bagaimana nak bawa keluar dari kemunting tu, sekarang ini dia ditahan dibawah ISA, mungkin atas kuasa executive perkara ini dibolihkan. Begitu juga seorang lagi yang mulut bercabang macam buaya darat tu, mungkin besok dia dibawa dengan kawalan berpuloh-puloh orang SB, kerana menjaga keselamatan dia. Persoalan sekarang adakah penyiasat persendirian ini bolih bercakap benar dalam mahkamah yang mulia itu nanti?.
Itu lah persoalan untuk renungan DSAI!
Dear Aminah Altantuyal,
I truly am sadden by the the verdict.I know what they did to you,
so is my fellow malaysian.Many of us do not agree with the verdict.
I am so shameful of what my fellow malaysian did to you.Be asure
that malaysian will not let the matter rest.Many of us did our best,
as our bro RPK has been ISA for voicing out and letting malaysian know
who is your murderer.Let not your murderer and their cohorts live in peace.
Let us know how can we help you so that your spirit will haunt them.
How long do we have to bear this crap, Datuk Seri?
unbeleiveable…with so many unanswered queries addressed and so many unattend matters, the decision has been made? What kind of joke that our police has been performing. They even not professional or there is man behind this…
Malaysia is in it’s darkest time with Najis as PM. Can’t imagine what mentality of some Malaysia state of people is which selected BN as goverment.
The beautiful thing about the Malaysian courts are, when the case involved a VVIP, a
layman will be able to predict the outcome.
This murder case of a Mogolian lady involved VVIPs, everything possible was used to suppressed the truth. only the ’side kicks’ were made scapegoats. The main actors which were the suspected killers got off scot free.
To seek justice in Malaysia one must sit in the correct side of the fence with political
alignment. To say, there is integrity and fairness in the courts is just an insult to the
intelligence of the people.
baguih punye teori…..
dah lah minah tu x dpt komisyen…kene liwat……pastu kene bunuh (pakai bom lagi)
Hakim plak senang2 jer ckp DPP gagal membuktikan kes terhadap Razak….
minah tu kan kenal ngan Razak jer….katon betul lah Hakim ni
saranan saya pd pengebom Altantuya….
lepas ni klau ade yg nak di bunuh pakai bom…..
pasangkan bom dibadan mereka & hantar ke Israel….jadi kan sebagai “PENGEBOM TERPAKSA MATI”
DSAI it looks all set that you are next on the line? No? If you or your alliances have any substantial material to prove this murder case, then let it be exposed - NOW. Otherwise, all these seeming statements that it was a case of ‘all botched-up’ and what have you is NOT going to take us anywhere except more heartaches.
Now, looking at the flow of space and time flows, it appears that all the dices are cast. What a horrible day it has been for so many, many people. We can only await more such days if YOU cannot make that DIFFERENCE NOW DSAI.
Since Razak Baginda, the fall guy, with no further obstacles or hindrances in sight for Nargis in his ascending to the Top Power, has been released, and the real murderers whose identities are obvious are still at large with RPK detained under ISA and PI Balasundram exiled overseas there is no other major obstacles and hindrances to Nargis’ ascendancy to the pinnacle of his power come March 2009. This is only obvious that UMNO has now the final say in justice with their man Zaki as the Chief Justice. This is the obvious Justice of Malaysia, the laughing stock of the whole world, Malaysia should be boycotted by the world communities for their greatest injustices towards human rights and common normal justices.
Banyaklah berdoa agar kebenaran akan muncul akhirnya. Allah Maha Besar. Maha Pengasih dan Maha Pengampun. Anda poliskah? Orang BPR! Peguam! Pendakwa! Hakim! Orang SPR! Petani! Kerani! takkan lari terima balasan jika lakukan kejahatan. Dunia mungkin kita boleh terlepas tapi jangan lupa akhirat menunggu.
malaysian justice at it’s best.
Badawi has been reduced to a spectator- history will record his incompetence.
The rakyat will deliver their justice when the time comes, for now, let us stand united with
the family of altantuya in our prayers and sympathy.
The person with the motive will pay the price.
O God of Justice and mercy we seek your indulgence so that the soul altantuya would rest in peace.
Perkara yang pertama seorang pemimpim yang korup akan buat ialah merosakkan sistem keadilan. Meraka kena lantik hakim-hakim yang menyebelahi mereka yang tidak langsung takut Allah kerana hakim yang sedemikian akan lindungi mereka. Kalau lantik hakim yang adil, habislah mereka. Insititusi polis pun jahanam. Kalau lantik pegaiwai atasan polis dari orang yang adil dan takutkan Allah, siapa nak lindungi mereka. Habislah mereka. Kemudian jenayah pun berleluasa. Siapa pula nak jadi pembunuhan upahan kalau gangster tak ada.
Terbuktilah Najib tidak hipokrit. Dia janji (menurut SMS mesej yang terdedah), nak lepaskan Razak. Nah, sekarang dia sudah tunaikan janji.
Ini pemimpin yang kita hendak. Tidak hipokrit. Bila dia janji, dia tunaikan janji. Dia tak dusta. Dia kata dia tak kenal langsung Altantuya. Memang betul dia tak kenal. Mana ada gambar dia dengan perempuan tu. Mana ada bukti dia pernah makan malam dengan dan jalan-jalan di Singapura dengan permpuan tu. Razak pun tak kenalkan pada dia.
Jadi Najib tak pernah dusta, tak pandai pun berdusta. Dia mamang tak hipokrit. Inilah dia pemimpin Islam yang orang Melayu memang hendak sangat. Tengoklah, Bahagian UMNO sokong dia 100%. Pak Lah kata dia tak percaya Najib terlibat dengan pembunuhan perempuan tu. Orang UMNO/Melayu raya sakan sokong pemimpin Islam ni. Eloklah tu. Hidup Melayu. Hidup Najib.
Saya teringat seorang kawan cerita pasal orang asli ditahn plis di pekan Rembau. Dia naik basikal. Bini dia naik, anak-anak dia naik. Bawa barang pula lagi. Bila polis kata yang dia buat tu salah, dia memjawab: basika saya punya, bini saya punya, anak-anak ni sya punya smeua dan barang-barang ni saya punya, apa pulak salahnya.
Perempuan tu girlfriend saya, polis-polis tu pegawai saya, Razak tu kawan baik dan penasihat saya, bini tu bini saya dan C4 bom saya punya, apa pulak salahlah benda yang telah saya buat tu.
Betulke polis tu buat kerja suka-suka je. Tak ada siapa arahkan. Anjing buat kerja pun bila tuan dia arahkan.
expected.no matter how much comments post we r only wasting time.the real culprit u want to know is the bloody rosmah.get rid umno then everything will be exposed
Jika Razak Baginda tak salah, habis siapa yang salah dan berada di belakang dua orang pembunuh upahan UTK tersebut?? Inilah perkara yang perlu disiasat oleh polis, pihak pendakwa dan mahkamah.
abd razak dah lepas, jangan diorang tuduh DSAI plak yang bom altantuya sudah…”selepas meliwat Saifool, DSAI didakwa mengebom altantuya”…pehh..malaysian court u know, anything can happen…pastu malaun malaun penyokong fanatik al-taksubi umno semua akan percaya habis habisan…
Why is Baginda Razak not investigated for Khalwat as he has admitted in his affidavit that he had sex with a woman?
Jawa Jive Reply:
November 7th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Simple. He got good cable.