Altantuya case can only be reopened if there are other suspects, says former A-G

The Altantuya Shaariibuu murder investigation can only be reopened if there is evidence to show that others, apart from the two convicted policemen, have committed offences related to the murder, former attorney-general Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said.

"Only then is the police obliged to reopen the case," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Talib said this in response to PAS Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar's statement in Parliament today, urging police to reopen the murder investigation to establish motive.

Mahfuz , who recently visited convicted murderer Sirul Azhar Umar in Australia, said the motive for her murder was never established.

"He kept telling me he was ordered. The rest he spoke about is in confidence.

"I am not trying to defend a criminal, but the police must investigate who ordered the hit," Mahfuz said, while debating the royal address in Parliament today.

Talib said in criminal law, motive was helpful, but not necessary for the case.

"Motive is only helpful to determine intention of the killing," he said, adding that the murder case has been resolved with the conviction of Special Action Unit (UTK) personnel Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Sirul .

"The guilty have been brought to justice when the two cops were sentenced to death," he said.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda was acquitted of abetting in the 2006 murder.

Razak, once Altantuya's lover, was also confidante of current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The High Court in 2009 found the police commandos guilty of the crime, but the Court of Appeal set the two free after reversing the findings of the trial court in 2013.

Sirul was absent when the apex court in January overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal and sentenced the two to the gallows.

Sirul had left fled the country to Australia last October, but was detained by Immigration authorities there following a red alert by Interpol.

Allegations have been brewing since 2006 that Altantuya was ordered to keep quiet about purported kick-backs to high-level Malaysian officials over the US$2 billion purchase of two French Scorpene submarines when Najib was defence minister.

Najib has vehemently denied knowing or meeting Altantuya and the Malaysian government refuted allegations of any wrong doing in the submarine deal, which is the subject of an investigation by a magistrate in Paris. - March 11, 2015