Najib denies allegations of seeking to silence Sirul.
Former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has urged former corporal Sirul Azhar Umar to “reveal everything” the latter knows about the purported mastermind behind the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
This comes after an Al-Jazeera interview aired on Friday, where Sirul, a former police commando, refused to name the “top politician” who he claimed issued the order to kill Altantuya.
Sirul also said in the interview that he received an undisclosed sum from unnamed sources to keep silent on the Altantuya case during his detention in Australia by its Immigration Department.
“Najib categorically denies any allegations of seeking to influence or silence Sirul.
“In fact, he urges Sirul to be brave and to disclose any information he may have regarding the purported mastermind, in the interest of uncovering the truth, transparency, and justice,” read a statement released by Najib’s lawyers, Shafee & Co, on his behalf Saturday (Nov 25) evening.
Meanwhile, Najib’s counsel asserted that their client had been exonerated of being involved in Altantuya’s murder multiple times by the courts over the years.
This includes the Federal Court, which ruled in 2020 that former chief inspector Azilah Hadri’s attempt to implicate Najib in the case “lacked substance both in procedure and merit”.
Najib has consistently denied any involvement in Altantuya’s murder and has also repeatedly denied that he knew or had met Altantuya.
“Despite this, recent statements in the interview imply a vague assertion that our client exerts interference or influence over Sirul, purportedly to protect our client – a narrative quite different from that of (former chief inspector) Azilah Hadri, further fortifying the inconsistent stance taken by both individuals,” his lawyers said.
They also pointed out that Sirul was given the chance to defend himself in court over this case, and yet he never brought up these claims during the process, despite facing the death penalty.
To ensure a comprehensive investigation into Sirul’s new claims, Najib has requested the government engage Australian authorities to facilitate Sirul’s extradition back to Malaysia.
“To support this, our client suggests the government could offer assurances against the imposition of the death penalty to facilitate the broader objective of truth and justice,” read the statement.
Related report:
Nov 24, Sirul: I was paid RM1mil to keep my mouth shut