Altantuya Murder Case 10/07/07

Sirul Azhar On Office Duty The Day Altantuya Was Murdered

SHAH ALAM, July 10 (Bernama) -- Bukit Aman Special Action Squad (UTK) deputy commander ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff said Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar as on duty at the office on Oct 19 and 20 last year during which Altantuya Shaariibu was murdered.
The 11th prosecution witness in the trial for the Mongolian woman's murder which entered its 16th day today, also said a UTK personnel assigned to office duty was not supplied with firearm.
Weapon and ammunition would only be issued if the personnel were called for field work, he said when cross-examined by counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, who represents Sirul Azhar, 35.
Sirul Azhar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, both from the UTK, are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year. Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 46, is charged with abetting them.
Kamarul Hisham: "They cannot hold weapon unless they receive a specific UTK commander approval."
Mastor: "Agree."
Kamarul Hisham: "The weapon is recorded when issued and returned. Are the bullets also recorded?"
Mastor: "Yes."
On the use of explosives, Mastor said that for training, the team leader would apply for its issue and for the UTK, only one individual was responsible over such training.
"Only DSP M. V. Sri Kumar handles all basic training with explosives and he will make the application for the issue of explosives and anyone under his supervision can make the issue," he said.
When asked whether Sri Kumar was also responsible over the balance of the material after the exercise, Mastor said: "Yes."
However, he disagreed when suggested to him that Sri Kumar would collect the balance to be returned to the ordnance store, and said that anyone could do so when ordered by Sri Kumar.


Keys Shown In Court Are Not The Same I Received From Sirul - Mastor

SHAH ALAM, July 10 (Bernama) -- A bunch of three keys produced in court is not the same handed to the Special Action Squad (UTK) deputy commander ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff by Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, the second accused in the murder trial of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Cross-examined by Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, counsel for Sirul Azhar, 35, Mastor, 45, said there were more than three keys in the bunch of keys handed to him by Sirul Azhar in the aircraft while they were returning to Malaysia from Pakistan.
(Mastor was bringing back Sirul Azhar from Pakistan where the latter was on escort duty during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's official visit to that country)
During re-examination by lead prosecutor Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, Mastor was asked to verify whether the bunch of keys shown to him in court today were the same with that given to him by Sirul Azhar.
Mastor said the keys he received were old ones and not shining like the ones shown to him today.
Tun Abdul Majid: You told the court that you cannot recognise the keys. Can you verify the keys which you received?
Mastor: The keys that I received were old ones. Not shining like this.
Tun Abdul Majid: Were the keys you received rusty?
Mastor: They were old keys.

Sirul Azhar's Confession Expunged

SHAH ALAM, July 10 (Bernama) -- The confession of corporal Sirul Azhar Umar who is accused of murdering Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu was ruled inadmissible by the High Court here Tuesday.
Justice Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin ruled that the confession was not made voluntarily because there was an inducement by Sirul Azhar's superior, Special Action Unit Deputy Commander ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff, to procure the confession from Sirul Azhar.
He made the ruling after a trial-within-a-trial to determine whether the confession was made voluntarily.
The trial-within-a-trial was held after Sirul Azhar's counsel, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, objected to the confession being admitted as evidence.
Sirul Azhar, 35, and Chief Insp Azilah Hadri, 30, both from the Special Action Unit, are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, here between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.
Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda is charged with abetting them.