Najib: Sirul's statement on Altantuya's case is total rubbish

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak today dismissed claims by former police commando Sirul Azhar Omar that he was under orders to commit the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu as total rubbish.
"It's total rubbish, total rubbish," Najib told reporters after attending the Chinese New Year open house at Wisma MCA today.
Defence Minister and Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein said it is Sirul's right if he wants break silence over the Altantuya Shaariibuu's case.
"That's his right," Hishammuddin said and refused to say anything more on the matter.
"I do not know what is he is going to say, so how can I say anything?" Hishamuddin said.
On Tuesday, Sirul, who has been detained in Australia, had made a statement that he was under orders to kill Altantuya, and that the "real" murderers are still free.
"I was under orders. The important people with motive are still free," Sirul was quoted by an online portal during an interview.
Sirul, who was sentenced to death by Malaysia's Federal Court for murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, has been detained in Queensland by the immigration authorities in Australia.
Yesterday, Sirul was reported to have said that his superior officer, then deputy superintendent Musa Safri, should have been called to give evidence in the Altantuya murder trial.
Altantuya was murdered on Oct 18, 2006. Back then, Musa was the aide de camp of Najib, who was then deputy prime minister.
"He should have been put on the witness stand by the prosecution," the onlie portal quoted Sirul as saying in an exclusive report.
The Court of Appeal in 2013 acquitted Sirul and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, saying there was serious misdirection by trial judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Yasin including by not calling Musa.
The appellate court said the failure to put Musa on the witness stand was important to the prosecution in unfolding the narrative of its case.