(Malay Mail Online) – Sirul Azhar Umar (pic) today denied the Inspector-General of Police’s claim that he was interviewed over his allegation that he killed Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu under orders, saying he was never questioned over the topic in Australia.
The former police commando said Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar should have sent officers to interview him if the latter cared about the integrity of the police force, but did not dispatch anyone to check on the former’s claims, according to news portal Malaysiakini.
“Let me tell you, there were no officers or police personnel who met me in Australia,” Sirul told Malaysiakini.
“He is lying to the police force and lying to the public with his claims and is trying to protect his boss.”
Yesterday, Khalid reportedly said the police had met the former police commando, who was convicted of killing the Mongolian model, in Australia where Sirul is being held at a immigration detention centre.
The IGP was answering a public query by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who said authorities must check on Sirul’s claim that he was ordered by his superiors to murder Shaariibuu.
“We (the police) have already met Sirul in Australia. From that meeting, we find that there are no issues that need to be investigated further,” Khalid was quoted saying by The Star on its website yesterday.
Dr Mahathir today maintained that the identity of the person who gave the orders to Sirul and another police commando, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, must be determined, saying that Sirul would likely not have divulged the information to the IGP.
He also said it would be unfair to execute the former police commando if he had been acting under orders.
Azilah and Sirul were charged with murdering Altantuya in 2006 and convicted by the High Court in 2009.
They were freed after the appellate court acquitted them in 2013, but the Federal Court reversed the acquittal in January and sent them back to hang, marking the end to the eight-year saga.
Sirul was a no-show during the Federal Court hearing and it was later revealed that he is in Australia.
Malaysia is seeking to extradite him home to face his sentencing but he remains in Sydney as Australia’s laws forbid its government from sending criminals to countries that have the death penalty.
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