ALTANTUYA Shaariibuu’s sons suffered the most after her death, the father of the murdered Mongolian model told the Shah Alam High Court today.

Shaariibuu Setev told the court that his entire family was devastated when Altantuya was murdered in 2006. The Mongolian woman was also a freelance translator.

“We all died with her, our family fell apart when she died,” said the father through a translator.

Altantuya had two sons, and the youngest Altanshagai Munkhtulga was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and died at the age of 15 in 2017. Her eldest son is Mungunshagai Bayarjargal who is now 21.

Shaariibuu, a retired professor, also told the court that since her death, he took care of his two grandchildren.

In his testimony on Friday, Shaariibuu had said that his daughter travelled to Malaysia to meet a man named “Razak” whom she had said was a “big man”.

“She told me that this man named Razak was a ‘big man’ in Malaysia. She then said that Razak was her lover,” the retired professor had said.

The 69-year-old Shaariibuu also said he discovered a paid flight ticket for his daughter in her handbag as well as a jewellery receipt amounting to RM11,300.

He said there was also a letter signed by Altantuya that stated she had received US$18,000 (RM74,000) from a man named Abdul Razak Baginda on March 2, 2006.

Shaariibuu was testifying in the hearing of the RM100 million suit that he filed against the Malaysian government over the murder of Altantuya. 

The suit, seeking damages and dependency claims, was filed in 2007.

In his statement of claim, Shaariibuu said Altantuya’s death had caused them mental shock and psychological trauma, which entitles them to exemplary and aggravated damages.

Razak, who was an adviser to former prime minister Najib Razak, was charged with abetting police commandos Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar in the murder of Altantuya, 28, in 2006. However, he was acquitted by the Shah Alam High Court in October 2008 without calling for his defence, while Azilah and Sirul Azhar were convicted of murder in 2009.

On August 23, 2013, the Court of Appeal allowed Azilah and Sirul’s appeal and acquitted them.

On January 13, 2015, however, the Federal Court allowed the prosecution’s appeal and set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision. Sirul and Azilah were found guilty and sentenced to death.

Sirul fled to Australia before the Federal Court made its ruling and is now being detained at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre, while Azilah is on Death Row at Kajang Prison. – January 28, 2019.