I was convicted based on circumstantial evidence, says Altantuya killer

Sirul Azhar Umar, one of the two men convicted in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case, had carefully concealed his face from media glare. Now in Australia, the former police commando insists he was taking orders and also questions why his picture was released. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, February 19, 2015.Fugitive former police commando Sirul Azhar Umar has claimed that he was only convicted of killing Mongolian model Altantuya Sharibuu based on circumstantial evidence, saying there were no witnesses to the crime nine years ago.

Speaking to news portal Malaysiakini, Sirul said that he had never admitted to killing Altantuya, and instead, insisted that he was being made a scapegoat.

"There are no witnesses to the murder until today. All this is based on circumstantial evidence linking me (to the murder)," he was quoted as saying.

"I understand that circumstantial evidence is not strong as direct evidence."

Sirul had earlier alleged that he had been under orders of "important people" to commit the murder, a claim dismissed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today as "total rubbish".

On January 13, a five-man Federal Court bench led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria sentenced the men to be hanged, overturning the Court of Appeal's decision to acquit them of the murder.

On Tuesday, Sirul (pic, right), now detained in Australia, said he was under orders to kill Altantuya, and that the "real" murderers are still free.

"I was under orders. The important people with motive are still free," he was quoted as saying.

Sirul told Malaysiakini that his superior officer, then deputy superintendent Musa Safri, should have been called to give evidence in the Altantuya murder trial.

At the time of the murder, Musa was also the aide-de camp-of Najib, who was then the deputy prime minister.

"He should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution," he said.

Sirul had during the trial given an unsworn statement which the judge ruled as a bad denial.

In 2013, the Court of Appeal had acquitted Sirul and Azilah, saying there was serious misdirection by trial judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Yasin, including the decision not to call Musa as witness.

Sirul also told Malaysiakini that he was unhappy that his photo was released to the press by inspector-general of police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

"Why reveal the photo without my consent? Since the start of the hearing and up to the appeal at the Federal Court, I managed to hide my face.

"What is the purpose (of releasing my photo)?" he asked.

- TMI