World Courant
Canberra, Australia – For the previous 9 years, Sirul Azhar Umar, 52, has been held in an Australian detention heart for overstaying a vacationer visa.
On November 8, 2023, Australia’s Excessive Courtroom dominated that it was unlawful to indefinitely detain non-citizens who couldn’t be deported.
The previous police officer was one such prisoner and was subsequently launched. Sirul was sentenced to demise in his house nation of Malaysia for the brutal homicide of a 28-year-old Mongolian translator in 2006, however Australian regulation bans the return of foreigners to international locations the place they may face the demise penalty.
Now dwelling within the Australian capital Canberra along with his 23-year-old son, Sirul talks for the primary time in regards to the homicide for which he was convicted in an unique interview with Al Jazeera’s 101 East.
Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu and Abdul Razak Baginda, an advisor to former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Shaariibuu was kidnapped from her house and brutally murdered in 2006 (101 East/Al Jazeera)
The homicide
One night time in October 2006, Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu was kidnapped from the house of her former lover and pushed to a jungle on the outskirts of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, the place she was shot and blown up with military-grade explosives.
The abductors had been Sirul and his senior officer, Azilah Hadri, each members of the elite safety element of Malaysia’s then deputy prime minister, Najib Razak.
“Azilah informed me this was a particular operation for… Mr. Najib,” Sirul stated. “And I obey just because he’s my superior.”
Shaariibuu’s ex-lover was Abdul Razak Baginda, an advisor and confidant of Najib.
Baginda brokered an allegedly corrupt multi-billion greenback submarine deal between Malaysia and France, which was signed by Najib when he was protection minister in 2002.
Shaariibuu had accompanied Baginda to Paris and in 2006 allegedly pushed for the $500,000 she was owed for her assist with the deal.
“Azilah informed me, ‘This woman is disturbing Razak,’” Sirul recollects, insisting he was by no means on the homicide scene and that the final time he noticed Shaariibuu she was alive.
‘I did not commit homicide. However sure, I am concerned. I’ll take (her) from Razak Baginda’s home,” he stated. “After which I gave (her) to Azilah… after which… I do not know something.”
Sirul Azhar Umar, proper, and his superior Azilah Hadri had been discovered responsible of the homicide of Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2009 (101 East/Al Jazeera)
No motive
The bodyguards had been discovered responsible of Shaariibuu’s homicide in 2009 and sentenced to demise, however a motive was by no means established.
In response to a police assertion, which the Malaysian courtroom deemed involuntary and subsequently inadmissible, Sirul confessed to capturing Shaariibuu within the left facet of her head.
However in an unsworn assertion to the courtroom, he stated he was a “scapegoat to guard those that weren’t within the courtroom.”
Baginda was charged with complicity within the homicide, however was by no means tried, because the courtroom dominated that he had no case to reply.
In 2013, Sirul’s conviction was overturned, however when it was reinstated on enchantment two years later, he was staying in Australia with household.
Days later, Sirul despatched a textual content message seen by 101 East to a politically related businessman in Malaysia, Abdul Salam Bin Ahmad, demanding thousands and thousands of {dollars}.
“Greetings boss. I am in bother right here. I need 2 million Australian {dollars} earlier than boss (you) comes to satisfy me. I’ve to ensure my kid’s future right here, after that I need 15 million…. Australia. I can’t return to Malaysia, by no means the boss. I can’t carry down the Prime Minister,” he wrote.
However Sirul now says the textual content message was not his thought, claiming: “I had directions from Mr Salam”. In his response, Salam wrote: “They’ll argue.” In response to Sirul, he was referring to Najib. “It is about getting some cash or one thing from Najib,” he says.
Sirul claims to have been manipulated for political functions because the homicide.
Najib Razak was Prime Minister of Malaysia between 2009 and 2018 and is at present serving a 12-year jail sentence after being discovered responsible of corruption (Ahmad Luqman Ismail/EPA-EFE)
Paid for silence
In 2016, whereas in an Australian immigration detention centre, Sirul recorded and distributed a video clearing Najib of any involvement in Shaariibuu’s homicide.
“Dato’ Seri Najib Razak was not concerned and has no relevance to the case,” he stated within the video.
Now, he claims, he desires to “inform the reality.”
“That is Australia. Everybody can speak, proper?” he says. “I now need to expose and (inform) the reality.”
Sirul claims he was paid greater than $200,000 to make the video. “My lawyer supplied me some huge cash,” he says.
“So that they supplied me some cash and gave it to me. I spent on my son as a result of I really like my son. My son goes to develop up right here… spend some huge cash, examine right here (in Australia), every little thing. And my daughter too.
“Thus far I’ve somebody (who) controls me. ‘Umar, you aren’t speaking. You’re silent.”
He claims he doesn’t know who paid him the cash, including that he by no means paid his legal professionals in Malaysia or Australia.
However he’s clear about who he was meant to guard along with his silence.
“To be sincere, I’m going to inform you particularly to guard the then Prime Minister, Mr. Najib.”
Sirul says he doesn’t know precisely why the hush cash was paid, however means that what he might need revealed about his conversations with Azilah would have had political penalties for Najib. Regardless of Najib’s denial of any involvement within the killing, his political profession was suffering from widespread hypothesis linking him to Shaariibuu’s homicide.
Sirul claims that the proof introduced to the courtroom was all “planted”, denying any data of Shaariibuu’s jewellery present in his coat in his wardrobe and bloodstained slippers present in his automotive.
He cites the appeals courtroom’s 2013 choice to overturn his 2009 conviction as proof that the proof in opposition to him was weak after which speculates that Najib interfered with the courtroom to make sure that the 2015 conviction was reinstated was set. “They do not owe anybody,” he says. .
Sirul was launched from immigration detention in Australia on November 11 and believes his life could be at risk if he had been despatched again to Malaysia (101 East/Al Jazeera)
Harmful freedom
Two days after his launch from immigration detention on November 11, he tells 101 East, he had already met with a Malaysian police intelligence officer hooked up to the Malaysian Excessive Fee and was informed that the latter was the Australian International Minister had reassured him that he was not a menace to the federal government. Australian group.
He claims to be in common contact with the intelligence officer and his former police colleagues. “I am nonetheless in contact with my group. I’ve a WhatsApp group, about 300 individuals. My associates are all from a particular unit,” he explains.
Whereas there may be dialogue in Malaysia about the potential of extraditing him and in Australia there may be dialogue in regards to the menace to the group following the discharge of quite a lot of convicted criminals from detention, Sirul’s freedom is fragile.
Shortly after the Supreme Courtroom’s choice, Australia’s parliament shortly handed emergency laws to permit authorities to make use of digital ankle bracelets and curfews to watch the launched prisoners.
Opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan says this isn’t sufficient.
“I feel he (Sirul) ought to return to Malaysia. And so I want to ask the Malaysian authorities to drop the demise penalty in order that we are able to ship him again.”
However that is the very last thing Sirul desires to occur, claiming: “I really feel at risk there as a result of I’m conscious that it’s actually unsafe for me to return there… No matter occurs, I need constructing a life with my baby right here in Australia.”
Shaariibuu’s father informed Al Jazeera in 2015 that his daughter had been “executed” and “in the future the individuals who dedicated this crime shall be punished” (101 East/Al Jazeera)
Apology
And he had this to say to Shaariibuu’s household: “I’m going to apologize to the household of the deceased. You recognize, Altantuya. Forgive me please.”
Shaariibuu’s two sons grew up with out their mom. Certainly one of them, who was severely disabled, has now died. In the meantime, her father continues to combat for justice.
“Nothing can exchange a mom’s love and take care of her youngsters – nothing. Altantuya’s life was taken away; she was executed. At some point, the individuals who dedicated this crime shall be punished,” Shaariibuu Setev, Altantuya’s father, informed Al Jazeera in 2015.
In December 2022, a Malaysian civil courtroom ordered the federal government, Abdul Razak Baginda and the 2 convicted cops to pay $1 million in damages to Shaariibuu’s household, however the authorities and Baginda have appealed the choice. Shaariibuu’s household has additionally appealed for greater damages after initially asking the courtroom for greater than $20 million.
101 East approached Sirul’s lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican, businessman Abdul Salam bin Ahmad, in addition to the Australian International Minister and the Malaysian Excessive Fee for touch upon the previous bodyguard’s claims, however obtained no response.
Najib is serving a twelve-year jail sentence for corruption and abuse of energy and couldn’t be reached for remark.
Man convicted in homicide case that rocked Malaysia. Claims paid for silence | Politics
Africa Area Information ,Subsequent Huge Factor in Public Knowledg
