Hearing on civil suit by Altantuya's family postponed

SHAH ALAM: The hearing of the RM100 million civil suit filed by the family of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the Mongolian model who was murdered in 2006, has been postponed to June 11.

Shah Alam High Court Datuk Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera deferred hearing of the case in his chambers. Also present were lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo representing Altantuya's family, lawyer of political analyst Abduk Razak Abdullah Baginda and senior federal counsel.

Sangeet Kaur, when met by reporters afterwards, said the postponement was because they would file an additional affidavit with the court this week.

The additional affidavit is to reveal media reports regarding a statement by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) then that the investigation papers involving the murder of Altantuya had been sent to the Attorney- General's Chambers and that they were waiting for a decision.

I think the filing of an additional affidavit is necessary because they (the Attorney-General Chambers) will respond to the affidavit before the judge makes a decision in the June 11 proceedings on our application for the relevant documents,” she said, adding that the court would also set a new trial date.

In July 2018, the media reported that former IGP Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun had informed that the investigation papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General Chambers.

Mohamad Fuzi also reportedly confirmed that the latest investigation involving the case was completed and that police were waiting for the next course of action on how to proceed.

Sangeet Kaur said that although copies of documents relating to Altantuya previous criminal proceeding can be used by witnesses during the trial proceedings, they still needed to identify the evidence submitted in the case before.

Therefore, to avoid witnesses being called again for identification of evidence, we intend to do so at once if our application to retrieve the evidence is successful.

Exhibits are likely to be kept in court or possibly with the police or at the Attorney-General's Chambers because usually, after a criminal trial hearing, evidence material is returned to an investigating officer or kept in court, she said.

She said that they have applied to the Registrar of the Shah Alam Criminal Court to obtain information on the existence of such evidence.

In June 4, 2007, Altantuya's father Dr Shaariibuu Setev and her mother Altantsetseg Sanjaa and their grandsons, Mungunshagai Bayarjargal and Altanshagai Munkhtulga, filed a RM100 million suit and named former policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda and the Malaysian government as defendants.