Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has never met convicted former police commando Azilah Hadri, who is currently on the death row for the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said today.
In a statement, the PMO said Dr Mahathir has never once met Azilah since the latter was imprisoned, denying news reports which claimed otherwise.
“The Office of the Prime Minister wishes to categorically state that Prime Minister YAB Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has never met former police commando Azilah Hadri, since the latter’s imprisonment for the murder of Mongolian, Altantuya Shaariibuu.
“It was widely reported today that Dr Mahathir had shook his head and smiled when asked if he had met Azilah.
“This question came at the tail-end of a press conference following the launch of Bandar Malaysia in Putrajaya yesterday.
“There were also attempts to allude that Dr Mahathir was the VVIP, who allegedly met Azilah who is on death row at Kajang Prison, in February this year,” it said in a statement.
Dr Mahathir, it added, had also dismissed allegations that the government was behind Azilah’s revelation of Najib’s involvement in the murder of Altantuya, as stated in his (Azilah’s) recent statutory declaration.
“As this involves the legal process, the government will leave the matter to the relevant authorities to decide on the course of action.”
Yesterday, Najib’s lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdulah alleged that Azilah was brought outside the prison in breach of procedures to allegedly meet with a VVIP.
The Prisons Department, however, refuted the allegation in a statement today, saying that Azilah never set foot outside the Kajang Prison for the entirety of 2019.
Meanwhile, Shafee said he is not surprised the Prisons Department denied that Azilah met with a VVIP outside of Kajang prison 10 months ago.
“Do you think they can ever admit?” he asked.
“They (will be) hanging themselves. Of course, they (will) deny it,” he told reporters when met at the Kuala Lumpur High Court this afternoon.
Asked if he could name the said VVIP or the exact date of the alleged meeting, he replied: “I cannot. We are working on it. I can’t tell you more than that.”
Earlier reports:
Dec 18, Prisons Dept: Azilah Never Left Prison to Meet Any VVIP
Dec 18, Azilah’s SD May Explain Why PI Bala Fled
Dec 17, I Slept Well, Says Ex-IGP Musa Hassan When Mocked over Altantuya Murder
Dec 17, PM Smiles, Shakes Head When Asked if He Met Azilah
Dec 17, Shaaribuu, Najib Want Altantuya’s Murder Reinvestigated
Dec 17, Apex Court to Hear Azilah’s Review Bid over Altantuya Murder Conviction in April 2020
Dec 17, Najib Told “Hidden Things” May Come Out
Dec 17, Razak Baginda’s Lawyer Demands Contempt Action over Azilah’s Allegations
Dec 16, MP: Focus Also on Ex-AG, Cops, Judges in Altantuya Murder case
Dec 16, Najib: This Is an Attempt to Detain Me Without Bail for Murder
Dec 16, Azilah’s SD Will Have Severe Impact in PI Bala Suit
Dec 16, Ramkarpal to Cops: Use SD to Renew Probe into Altantuya’s Murder
Dec 16, Azilah Claims Suppression of Evidence, Material Facts During Court Proceedings
Dec 16, Najib Rubbishes Claims He Ordered Altantuya’s Murder
Dec 16, Azilah’s Explosive SD – Najib Ordered Me to Kill Altantuya