Australia grants Malaysia’s request to extradite Sirul, says report

Updated 5 years ago · Published on 8 Jun 2018 8:27AM · 5 Comments

AUSTRALIA has approved a Malaysian request to extradite Sirul Azhar Umar, the former policeman who was convicted of murdering Mongolian translator Altantuya Shariibuu, in a scandal that had dogged Najib Razak during his time in government, the Guardian reports.

Citing sources, the British daily said Canberra had given the green light after Malaysia agreed to cover the cost of bringing back the former bodyguard of an embattled Najib, whose dramatic fall from grace at the May 9 polls has been followed by an investigation in Malaysia over the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

The report said Sirul could leave within a month, indicating that the Altantuya murder case, which had transfixed the nation with allegations extramarital affairs, murder, bribery and shady arms deals linked to Najib, might be reopened as the new Pakatan Harapan government is going all out to uncover past wrongdoing by the past administration.

Sirul was a member of the police’s elite Special Action Unit (known by its Malay acronym UTK) and had served on Najib’s security detail. Altantuya was a translator linked to Najib ally Abdul Razak Baginda, who had brokered the purchase of two French-made Scorpene submarines for the Royal Malaysian Navy. Najib was defence minister at the time of the purchase. 

In 2009, Sirul and UTK colleague Azilah Hadri were convicted of murdering Altantuya in 2006, and sentenced to death. They were acquitted by the Court of Appeal in a controversial 2013 ruling.

Prosecutors appealed the decision in the Federal Court, and Sirul subsequently fled to seek asylum in Australia, where he has been detained at the Villawood immigration detention facility. In 2015, the Federal Court overturned the acquittal.

Past Malaysian requests to bring back Sirul were turned down by Australia, as the country’s laws do not allow a person facing the death penalty to be extradited. – June 8, 2018.

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Comments

  • And the exciting wayang begins, I bet Najib n wife must b shitting down their pants now. Jho Low can stick another nail to their coffin but I bet he cannot be trusted after getting so much dedak from the duo so the Authority better be careful if he suddenly wants to co operate. He may gave wrong evidences n later have it declared a mistrial

    Posted 5 years ago by KF Leong · Reply

  • Why so obsess with this killer when the other killer Azilah is in the country awaiting his death sentence. He was the other partner . Why was he not fully interogated to squeal out the truth. Enough time wasted on such prominent case and leading no where. The main culprit who has planed such killing must be brought to justiceguilty. All the collabrators are still enjoying their freedom . Their lives should have been snuffed out to prevent wastages from tax payers expenses.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • The problem with Azilah is his mouth is so tightly shut nothing is coming out moreover his life ihas probably been paid for

      Posted 5 years ago by KF Leong · Reply

    • When Sirul death sentence is commuted to be a life sentence, he decined the offer and all sorts of nonsences but nothing was offered to Azilah. If the same is offered to Azilah his mouth could be easily open not neccessary to use a crow bar to pry it. It looks like they are just not serious enough to pursue the case.

      Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • That was so as long as Najib was in power. Now, however, he could be prodded (with a red-hot poker for instance) to sing like a canary.

      Posted 5 years ago by Chris Sav · Reply