KUALA LUMPUR: Sirul Azhar Umar only wants to focus on the application to be released from Australia’s Immigration detention centre and will not raise any other issues, according to his lawyer, Hasnal Rezua Merican.
The remarks followed the allegation, which had gone viral on WhatsApp, that his client was planning to make disclosures regarding the person who ordered him to kill the Mongolian model, Altantuya Shaariibuu, in 2006.
Hasnal Rezua told Bernama that Sirul Azhar would not do so and that he would not want to return to Malaysia following the death sentence passed on him.
On Jan 13, the Federal Court unanimously set aside the acquittal of Sirul Azhar and Azilah Hadri for the murder of Altantuya and restored the decision of the Shah Alam High Court which had found them guilty of the murder and sentenced them to death. Sirul Azhar, however, was not present when the Federal Court delivered its judgement as he was believed to have fled to Australia.
On Jan 20, he was arrested by the Australian Immigration officials after Interpol issued a red notice for his arrest and had been detained at the Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in Sydney ever since.
“Sirul stands firm, he does not want to return to Malaysia following the death sentence passed on him. His decision and main interest right now is to solve the issues with the Australian Immigration to enable him to stay there and not to be extradited back to Malaysia.
“Other issues are of no importance to him, including the allegation that he would make disclosures regarding Altantuya’s murder,” said Hasnal Rezua. He said, in regards to the case, Sirul Azhar wanted only for the Federal Court’s decision to be reviewed.
“Don’t simply believe the information (regarding Sirul Azhar’s case). Be careful and get the facts straight first,” he added. — Bernama