No unknown DNA in victim’s jewellery’

SHAH ALAM: Altantuya Shaariibuu’s jewellery was not planted in a flat unit belonging to Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar, one of the men accused of her murder, a High Court here heard.

Lead prosecutor DPP Tun Abd Majid Tun Hamzah, who concluded his submissions on the prosecution’s case against the second accused yesterday, pointed out that there was no unknown DNA profile on Altantuya’s watch, earrings and a diamond ring.

“Surely if the evidence was planted, there would be DNA profiles of others,” he argued.

DPP Tun Abd Majid contended that the fact remained that the jewellery was found in Kpl Sirul Azhar’s jacket.

Referring to the testimonies of prosecution witnesses, he said nothing else was found at the crime scene apart from bone fragments, hair and body tissue belonging to the deceased.

“The police never took possession of any of the deceased’s belongings from her friends. In fact, Amy (Altantuya’s cousin Burmaa Oyunchimeg) testified that some of her (Altantuya’s) belongings were intact in the deceased’s bags and those bags were never examined by the police,” the prosecutor said.

DPP Tun Abd Majid also urged the court to examine the facts and circumstances surrounding the discovery of the jewellery.

He asked why the D9 (serious crimes division) team that went to Kpl Sirul Azhar’s Kota Damansara flat allowed personnel from other divisions of the police force to come along, saying it was not logical for the D9 team to allow others to search the unit first.

“If they wanted to frame or fabricate evidence against Kpl Sirul Azhar, why take the risk of doing it in the presence of others?“ the prosecutor asked.

DPP Tun Abd Majid argued that Kpl Sirul Azhar was indeed the person in possession of the jewellery as they were found in his jacket hung in his closet.

“The unit was occupied by him, the room was his. His housemate Radzi Mohd Tahir testified that he had no access to Kpl Sirul Azhar’s room while the latter was away,” he argued.

On the contention that Kpl Sirul Azhar had been threatened into cooperating during interrogation, DPP Tun Abd Majid argued that the Unit Tindakan Khas operative was familiar with interrogations and knew its purpose, workings and techniques.

“It is submitted that Kpl Sirul Azhar is not the kind of person who would easily succumb to the pressure, threats, inducement or promise as (interrogating officer) Asst Supt Zulkarnain Samsudin had alleged,” he argued.

DPP Tun Abd Majid will begin his submissions on the case against political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, who is charged with abetting C/Insp Azilah Hadri and Kpl Sirul Azhar in the murder, on Monday.

-TMB