Family fell apart when Altantuya died.
The death of Altantuya Shaariibuu has devastated her family, especially her children, her father told the Shah Alam High Court today.
During testimony today, an emotional Shaariibuu Setev recalled that the family “fell apart” when she died.
“I feel like we all died with her.
“All her responsibilities fell upon my shoulders. Soon after this incident, I have taken care both of her children,” said Shaariibuu who picked up a handkerchief to wipe his eyes before continuing to testify in an RM100 million civil suit filed by Altantuya’s family, a year after her death.
He added that Altantuya’s sons suffered the most after her death.
Altantuya was survived by two sons.
At the time aged eight and three, they had moved in to live with Shaariibuu shortly after her death.
The elder boy is aged 20, but the younger, who suffered from cerebral palsy and was disabled from a young age, died at age 15 in 2017.
Describing his late daughter as educated and reliable, Shaariibuu said Altantuya had financially supported their entire family, particularly for treatment of her younger son.
“With my age and my wife’s age and my earning capacity, I could not do as much as she did,” the retired university professor told the court.
Shaariibuu also questioned the integrity of a former honorary consul of Mongolia to Malaysia, who acted as a liaison officer between the family and the authorities here.
He said his doubts about Syed Abdul Rahman Alhabshi were based on several incidents that took place over the course of his dealings with the latter in his daughter’s murder investigation.
On Aug 29, 2008, he said, Syed Abdul Rahman sent an email to the Mongolian foreign affairs ministry stating that he was a member of the then-ruling party and seeking to dismiss all speculation of the involvement of Najib Razak, who was deputy prime minister at the time.
In his witness statement today, Shaariibuu said the email was translated for him by a Mongolian lawyer after a ministry official, Ganbold D, provided him with a copy.
He also claimed Syed Abdul Rahman had invited him to his home in Kuala Lumpur, where he showed him a large photo of himself with Najib soon after the acquittal of Abdul Razak Baginda for abetment in Altantuya’s murder.
“He told me that they (Syed Abdul Rahman and Najib) were good friends,” Shaariibuu said when examined by lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo.
Shaariibuu said Syed Abdul Rahman had also insisted that he hand over records of Altantuya’s flight tickets and bank statements as well as several photographs of her.
“I was under the impression that they were to be used for the criminal trial,” he added. “I do not know whether all those documents were sent to the relevant authorities or used in the trial.”
Shaariibuu said he had also discovered that Syed Abdul Raman and a Mongolian ministry official known as Aruinbold were working against his and his family’s interest.
He said he had been surprised at the court decision to convict policemen Sirul Azhar Umar and Azilah Hadri of Altantuya’s murder as neither knew his daughter or had reason to kill her.
He said the prosecution had also refused to appeal against Razak’s acquittal without defence being called.
“My counsel (the late Karpal Singh) filed a judicial review, but the application was dismissed, and we did not appeal to the Court of Appeal,” he said.
Shaariibuu said he felt that his testimony was brief and that the parties involved had asked him very limited questions during the criminal trial.
He filed the civil suit in the hope of getting justice, he added.
“The criminal trial delivered a judgment, but not justice. I seek answers from this honourable court,” he said. “I believe the defendants caused the unlawful killing of my daughter.”
Shaariibuu, his wife Altantsetseg Sanjaa, and Altantuya’s son Mungunshagai have named Razak Baginda, the Malaysian government, Sirul and Azilah as defendants in their suit.
They allege that there was a conspiracy in Altantuya’s murder and are seeking RM100 million in damages, including dependency claims.
Earlier reports:
Jan 25, Testimony of Altantuya’s Father
Jan 24, Hanipa: Najib or Altantuya’s Cousin, Who Lied?
Jan 23, Najib: Lies, Never Met Her, Responding to Claims of He in Photo with Altantuya