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The Australian authorities said Sirul Azhar Umar will be extradited to Malaysia within a month time after they agreed to Malaysia’s request to have him back, the Guardian revealed.
Malaysian hitman who escaped to Australia only to find himself in jail in 2014 lost his plea against the extradition.
He flew to Australia while on bail during an appeal against his conviction in Kuala Lumpur. The return of ex-PM Najib Razak’s bodyguard indicates that the Altantuya Shaariibuu case will be re-opened.
Last week former DPM Anwar Ibrahim made a plea to Australia for the return of Sirul.
He called for a new trial “that’s clearly transparent”.
“You have to allow for due process to take place and Malaysian authorities may seek Australia’s cooperation just to make sure there’s a fair trial,” he said.
After Sirul escaped to Australia he was put on Interpol’s red alert and arrested in Queensland for overstaying his tourist visa.
He has been held in the Villawood detention centre in Sydney ever since but the decision to extradite him to Malaysia came after assurances by the new Malaysian government that Sirul will receive fair treatment.
Sirul has offered himself as a ‘witness’ in the case if it is re-opened. According to former Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim, there will be a new trial.
The Guardian said a source revealed the Malaysian government has agreed to cover the cost of extradition.
It is believed Sirul will leave Australia within a month.
With Malaysia considering re-opening the case of Altantuya Shaariibuu’s death, the country will perhaps know the truth behind the grisly murder.
Altantuya had allegedly been the lover of Najib’s close confidant Abdul Razak Baginda, and had begun demanding money from Baginda for her role in a government deal to buy French submarines, where Baginda had allegedly been given multimillion-euro kickbacks.
In October 2006, the pregnant Altantuya was abducted in front of Baginda’s Kuala Lumpur home. There were witnesses, including a P. Balasubramaniam or PI Bala.
She was then taken to a forest in Subang where she was shot twice with a semi-automatic weapon and her body was blown up with military-grade explosives.
Sirul and a fellow bodyguard, Azila Hadri, were charged with the murder and sentenced to death in 2009 but Sirul has denied carrying out the killing.
