By Shannon Teoh
SHAH ALAM, June 16 — Shariibuu Setev's application to review the Attorney-General's decision not to appeal Abdul Razak Baginda’s acquittal in the murder of Shariibuu’s daughter Altantuya will be mentioned on July 8.
This was after Shariibuu's counsel, Sangeet Kaur Deo, standing in for lead counsel, her father Karpal Singh, asked for more time to reply to Razak's submission which was only filed on June 1.
The high-profile case involving Mongolian beauty Altantuya has come under international scrutiny as Razak and a police officer, DSP Musa Safri, who are tied to the events leading to Altantuya's gruesome death, are linked to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
After meeting the respective counsel for half an hour, High Court judge Datuk Noraini Abdul Rahman allowed the delay despite A-G Tan Sri Gani Patail having made his submission back in March.
Senior federal counsel Datuk Kamaludin Md Said said the decision to appeal or not was the prerogative of the A-G under Article 145 (3) of the Federal Constitution.
The provision states that he has power "exercisable at his discretion to institute, conduct and discontinue proceedings" for any offence.
"The review is non-judiciable. Criminal matters are questions of public interest. The A-G knows what is best and that is why he is given the power under the constitution," he added.
High Court judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yassin had on Oct 31 last year acquitted and discharged Razak of abetting Chief Insp Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar in Altantuya’s murder and later sentenced the two policemen to death for the murder which involved explosives in a botched attempt to destroy her body.
Shariibuu has an outstanding civil suit claiming RM100 million in damages against the two policemen, Razak and the government of Malaysia due to be mentioned in July.
However, the government and Razak have both asked Shariibuu to put up security for the cost of the suit, with the former asking for a RM1 million guarantee. -- TMI
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