Australia to refuse Malaysia’s request to extradite Sirul

he two accused in the Altantuya murder have carefully shielded themselves from the media since the trial started in 2006. One of them, Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, is currently in Australia. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, January 15, 2015.
Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, who was sentenced to death over the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, is likely to escape the gallows, after an Australian daily quoted officials as saying that extraditing him to face the death penalty would violate the country’s laws.

The Sydney Morning Herald, quoting a spokesman for the Attorney-General’s Department, said Australian laws do not allow extradition in cases where the penalty is the death sentence.

Sirul is one of two former police commandos sentenced to death over the 2006 murder.

On Tuesday, the Federal Court allowed an appeal by the prosecution, and sentenced Sirul and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri to death, overturning their acquittal by the Court of Appeal in August 2013.

Sirul, who did not turn up at the Federal Court, reportedly went to Australia last October.

Bernama had quoted a source as denying that Sirul had escaped, saying he did not have enough money to return to Malaysia.

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Mohmad Salleh had earlier told Bernama that police would liaise with their Australian counterpart, and would also seek Interpol’s help should Sirul flee Australia.

“We will definitely seek the cooperation of the international police,” he had said.

Altantuya, who worked as a translator, was brutally murdered with her remains, believed to have been destroyed by C4 explosives, discovered in the outskirts of Shah Alam.

Former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a confidante of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, was charged with abetting Azilah, but was acquitted in 2008. The government did not appeal. TMI

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