©New Straits Times (Used by
permission)
KUALA LUMPUR: The Kuala Lumpur Bar is dissatisfied with the reason given
by Attorney–General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail for changing the prosecution team
handling the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder case.
Gani had said it was done in the interest of justice as
deputy public prosecutor Salehuddin Saidin had been seen playing badminton with
trial judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin.
The KL Bar’s Criminal Practice Committee chairman N. Sivananthan said it was
public knowledge, as early as January this year, that Salehuddin and Zaki were
part of a group that regularly played the game.
"In my view, this is an inadequate explanation," he said.
Sivananthan said newspapers had reported that Salehuddin and Zaki were present
at a club when a group member, judge Datuk Abdul Wahab Said Ahmad, collapsed
after a game of badminton.
Wahab died soon after on Jan 7.
Sivananthan said Abdul Gani would have known about Salehuddin’s association with
Zaki much earlier and not last Thursday as reported by Bernama.
He said Abdul Gani’s decision implied that his officers could not engage in
public activities with lawyers and judges.
Abdul Gani had told Bernama he decided to withdraw Salehuddin from leading the
prosecution team due to the sensitivity of the case. Salehuddin was replaced by
Tun Majid Tun Hamzah.
The trial, supposed to have started on Monday was adjourned as Tun Majid had to
study the case documents.
On trial are Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar, 35,
both members of the police Special Action Squad, and political analyst Abdul
Razak Baginda, 47.
The first two are charged with the murder of 28–year–old Altantuya in Mukim
Bukit Raja, Selangor, between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year, while
Razak is charged with abetting them.
The remains of Altantuya’s body, blown up with explosives, were found on Nov 7.