Despite Acquittal, Altantuya Case Continues

Written by William Kennedy

Thursday, November 06, 2008.


A TOP suspect in the S.Altantuya murder case, Abdul Razak Baginda, received an acquittal from Malaysia’s High Court last week, but the saga that began with the shocking death of a female Mongolian translator in 2006 may not be over. Some news sources state that Altantuya’s father, Dr S.Shaariibuu, a Professor at Mongolia’s National University, may seek to appeal the ruling and has already issued a request—with the help of Mongolia’s government—to keep Razak in prison during the process.


While several Mongolian newspapers question these developments, following the trial, without directly criticizing the verdict, Shaariibuu expressed his disappointment with the outcome. “My daughter was murdered for a reason,” he told Malaysian media outlets. “Many questions remained unanswered.” He also made it clear that his involvement in the case has not yet ended. “The journey in a man’s life is a long road,” he said. “We never know if our paths will meet again. I, however, believe Razak’s path and mine will cross again.”Razak is the most prominent of three men charged in the slaying of Altantuya. An associate and friend of the Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Razak has confessed to having an affair with Altantuya, but has repeatedly denied any involvement with her death.

The cases other two defendants, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, will go on trial next week. The two men, who served as guards for Najib, are accused of shooting Altantuya to death and then detonating her remains with explosives. These trials may hold new surprises for a case that has already revealed a number of twists. Some of the most notable include claims from a blogger and a private detective that Prime Minister Najib has a much closer connection to the case than he admits. Whatever the true nature of his involvement, due to his close relationship with Razak, allegations and rumors about political interference have surrounded the case since it opened.


Last week however, in addition to the acquittal, Najib and Razak received welcome news when Mongolia’s Honorary Consul in Malaysia Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi issued a statement saying he did not believe political obstruction occurred in the trial. He said that justice was served in the case, but he added, “whether the justice will be respected by the world, only God knows.”Some people throughout the world, including Malaysians, have continue to express skepticism about the validity of the trial, but at least for Razak, the not-guilty verdict will stand unless and until the High-Court receives and accepts an appeal.