Police to refer probe on Altantuya’s murder to DPP office again

KUALA LUMPUR: The police are to again refer to the Office of the Deputy Public Prosecutor their investigation into the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu in Malaysia 12 years ago.

Kuala Lumpur Police deputy chief Datuk Zainuddin Yaacob said this was being done following a fresh police report lodged by Altantuya’s father, Dr Shaariibuu Setev on Wednesday.

“The police recorded a statement from the complainant (Shaariibuu) at 9 am today (June 21), following which we will revert the investigation to the Office of the Deputy Public Prosecutor,” he said in a statement yesterday.

On Wednesday, Shaariibuu made a report at the Dang Wangi District Police headquarters over his daughter’s murder. He was accompanied by the family lawyer, Ramkarpal Singh, who said the report was lodged to enable the police to reopen the murder case.

Shaariibuu told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to know who ordered the murder of his daughter and the motive for the killing.

Altantuya is believed to have been killed and her body blown up with explosives at a secondary jungle in Mukim Bukit Raja, Klang, between 10 pm on Oct 19, 2006, and 1 am on Oct 20, 2006.

In 2009, former police Special Action Unit members Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri were found guilty of Altantuya’s murder. The Court of Appeal overturned their sentences in 2013 but, upon the prosecution’s appeal, they were upheld by the Federal Court.

However, Sirul fled to Australia where he was detained by the Australian Immigration at its detention centre in Sydney after Interpol issued a red notice on him. He has been at the detention centre since 2015. He is hoping to get asylum in Australia. Bernama