PETALING JAYA - Former policeman Sirul Azhar Umar, 51, who was sentenced to death for the 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu has been released from an immigration detention centre in Australia.
This was confirmed by Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain, as well as Sirul’s lawyer William Levingston.
Mr Razarudin said on Sunday that Malaysia’s police will discuss the extradition of Sirul with the attorney general.
“The request for repatriation needs to be addressed by the AGC (Attorney General’s Chambers) as this involves the governments of Malaysia and Australia,” he told news agency Bernama.
Mr Levingston said Sirul has been released among dozens of people after a High Court decision on Nov 8, but could not be deported back to Malaysia.
Sirul, who was a bodyguard of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, had been forced to remain in the detention centre since his claim for asylum in Australia was rejected in 2019.
Mr Levingston said his client faces death by hanging in Malaysia for a murder conviction, and until the death penalty is abolished by the Malaysian government, the Australian government would not be able to deport Sirul due to non-refoulement obligations.
The Daily Mail reported that Sirul was freed from Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney on Saturday, and is now understood to be staying with a relative in Canberra.
Sirul, a former commando, fled to Australia and sought asylum while on release pending an appeal.
Ms Altantuya was 28 when she was shot and her body blown up with explosives in a gruesome murder in 2006 by Sirul and fellow commando Azilah Hadri, who was also part of Najib’s security detail. Both men were convicted of her murder.
Najib has consistently denied links to her death, while Azilah is currently on death row.
Civil society groups have alleged that Ms Altantuya’s death was linked to her role as an interpreter and associate of Mr Abdul Razak Baginda, a former adviser to Najib, in Malaysia’s scandal-ridden purchase of two Scorpene-class submarines from French shipbuilding giant DCNS in 2002.
Mr Abdul Razak was charged with abetting the duo, but later acquitted without his defence being called.
In a rare interview with the Guardian Australia, Sirul said he had been ordered to carry out the killing, but did not disclose who gave the instructions.
He added that he participated only in the abduction of Ms Altantuya, but not the murder. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, REUTERS
