Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Judge Visits Scene Of Altantuya's Murder

SHAH ALAM, July 18 (Bernama) -- The prosecution Wednesday took judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin and members of defence team to the site where Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu was said to have been killed.

All those involved in the murder trial were taken in 10 police vehicles including eight four-wheel-drive, escorted by seven police outriders, to a hill near Puncak Alam at about 3.10pm.

There, Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorin Badaruddin told the judge, during heavy rain, that a bush with trees averaging three metres in height was where the "object" was believed blown up.

She also showed a clearing where the "object" was believed placed before it was taken into the bush.

She also showed the trees where Altantuya's hair and flesh were found when bomb and forensic experts conducted investigations after Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Constable Sirul Azhar Umar disclosed the location.

Witnesses would be called to produce all the evidence, she said.

Azilah, 31, and Sirul Azhar, 36, are charged with murdering Altantuya, 28, between 10pm on Oct 19 last year and 1am the following day. Political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda, 47, is accused of abetting them.

The three accused, who were taken to the site separately, did not get down from the vehicles. Azilah and Sirul Azhar still had their faces covered while Abdul Razak looked calm.

The visit took about 15 minutes. All those who were there wore slippers because of the rain. Only judge Mohd Zaki had an umbrella over his head while Noorin covered hers with a plastic bag.

Lawyer Karpal Singh who holds a watching brief for the Mongolian government and Altantuya's family, was not there but was represented by his son, Ram Karpal Singh.

In the area, there was a tree with a long blue shawl tied around it. Also seen were several joss sticks, candles and two gold-coloured broken sticks.

-- BERNAMA

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