Refreshing Altantuya Shaariibuu case

28-year-old Mongolian beauty Ms Altantuya Shaariibuu with her younger son, Atanshagai.

She was shot twice in the head and her body blown up with plastic explosives.

28-year-old Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu was allegedly killed after she demanded US $500,000 ($770,000) from her former lover, political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda to provide medical treatment for their sick son.

She had arrived in Kualar Lumpur with two other Mongolian women on Oct 8 last year, and had went to Abdul Razak's office and house several times to look for him but was rebuffed by his security guards.

After she arrived, she apparently hired a private detective to find out more about her lover. She was also reported to have sent him many SMS messages.

Mr Abdul Razak Baginda, former lover of Ms Altantuya Shaariibuu

On Oct 19, she received a phone call to meet Abdul Razak at his house. When she showed up outside his house, she was allegedly seized by several men, bundled into a car and driven away. That was the last time she was seen alive.

Abdul Razak has been charged with abetting her murder while two policemen from an elite unit, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, are accused of murdering her.

WHAT HAPPENED
7 NOV 2006

Police at Subang Dam, where the bone fragments of Mongolian model, Miss Altantuya Shaariibuu were found

Police find bone fragments, believed to belong to Ms Shaariibuu at a ditch
in a secluded area near a dam in Puncak Alam.

Three police officers have been arrested in connection with the case. They include a chief inspector who is a member of the security detail of a Cabinet minister, a corporal attached to a commando squad responsible for protecting VIPs and a woman anti-vice detective. Two private investigators are also remanded.

Ms Shaariibuu's former lover, 46-year-old Mr Abdul Razak Baginda is picked up for questioning. A court allowed the police to detain him for five more days to help in investigations.

9 NOV 2006

Location where parts of Ms Altantuya Shaariibuu's body were found.

10 of Ms Shaariibuu's relatives arrived late amid tight security at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Her father, Mr Shaariibuu Setev, is believed to be among them. They evaded a waiting media contingent and were taken immediately to the Kuala Lumpur Police headquarters to assist in investigations.

Ms Shaariibuu's father is expected to provide DNA samples to facilitate the identification of her remains.

Meanwhile, police investigators continued to scour the secluded site outside the city where the bone fragments were found for more evidence.

Some of her personal effects, said to be a ring, a ear-ring and a wristwatch, have also been recovered.

But it is not known if these items, which are being used to help identify her, were recovered from her hotel room or the site where her body was found.

Investigators also brought Mr Abdul Razak yesterday to his office near the Petronas Twin Towers.

They are believed to have seized documents and CCTV footage from his office.

15 NOV 2006

Two policemen from an elite unit- Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 36 are charged with murdering Ms Altantuya Shaariibuu

The results of DNA tests have confirmed that the bone fragments came from Miss Shaariibuu.

Two Malaysian policemen were charged with the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu. Both men, who appeared tired but calm, were taken to court in handcuffs and nodded when asked if they understood the charge. No plea was recorded. The accused are with an elite police tactical unit called the Unit Tindakan Khas (Special Forces Unit), which protects VIPs.

Another police officer who was detained, an unnamed female corporal, was released on bail.

The next day, on 16 Nov, Abdul Razak was charged with abetting the murder of a Mongolian model and is facing a possible death sentence.

24 NOV 2006

Abdul Razak Baginda was freed on bail yesterday after he pleaded not guilty to conspiring to murder a Mongolian woman.

It was a surprising decision, as those implicated in murder cases in Malaysia are rarely allowed to be freed on bail as conviction carries a mandatory death sentence. Abdul Razak appeared frail and dazed in the dock, but smiled and hugged his lawyer and family on news that he would be released.

Under the terms of his release, Abdul Razak's passport was impounded, but neither he nor his family was required to deposit the 1 million ringgit with the court. Instead, Abdul Razak's brother, Rani Abdullah, and sister, Rohani Abdullah – who signed the sureties for his release – would be fined 100,000 ringgit each time he failed to make a court appearance.

15 DEC 2006

Abdul Razak waving to the crowd as he enters the High Court

The prosecutor in the murder case of Altantuya Shaariibuu has asked a High Court judge for an early trial date to quell rumours that persons other than the three accused men were involved.The court yesterday was packed with more than 100 members of the public,lawyers, reporters and family members of the three accused.

Although the hearing started after 9am, the courtroom was full by 8am.

Policemen had to lock the doors to prevent more people from entering.

Responding to the prosecution yesterday, Judicial Commissioner Zaki Md Yasin said the trial date would be set on Jan 5, when the case is mentioned before the designated trial judge, Datuk K.N. Segara.

He also granted bail to Abdul Razak for medical reasons which is an earlier decision by the Kuala Lumpur High Court last month.

But unlike the Kuala Lumpur High Court, which did not ask for bail to be deposited, he ordered the sum of RM1 million (S$434,000) to be deposited with the court before Abdul Razak could be released.

Abdul Razak managed to raise bail by 3pm and left the courthouse with his family in a Mercedes-Benz car.

6 JAN 2007

Ms Mazlinda Makhzan, Abdul Razak Baginda's wife, lashing out at photographers outside the court on Friday as her husband is led away to prison to await trial next year.

A HIGH Court judge in Kualar Lumpur yesterday sent Abdul Razak to jail to await trial for the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, as they denied him bail after it expired last week. Abdul Razak, 46, was originally granted bail in November of RM1million (S$437,000) on the grounds of poor health.

Judge K.N. Segara rejected an oral plea for an extension of Abdul Razak's bail, but said he would hear a formal application on Jan19.

Dressed in a blue shirt and black trousers, Abdul Razak appeared calm and cheerful as he arrived in court for the hearing with his family.

But he looked shocked at the judge's decision not to extend the bail.

The judge, Datuk Segara, has set the trial date for Abdul Razak along with the main accused policemen for March 2008.

21 JAN 2007

Razak Baginda with his family at Shah Alam High Court. Prominent political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda being led away by police. He has admitted to having an affair with Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu but denies having her killed.

Prominent political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda admitted to police that he had an affair with murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Ironically, the move was an apparent attempt by his lawyer, Mr Wong to show that while his client was guilty of infidelity to his wife and family, he had no connection to her murder.

His lawyer hoped that strategy would convince the court to release him on bail rather than keep him behind bars until his trial in March next year.

Despite appearing to come clean about his role in Miss Altantuya's death, he failed to move the judge.

The judge sent Abdul Razak back to jail.

10 MAR 2006

The murder trial was yesterday brought forward by nine months, and will be heard by a different judge.

Judicial Commissioner Mohammed Zaki Md Yasin has set a one-month period, from June 4 to 29, for the trial of prominent political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda and two policemen for the murder of a Mongolian model last year.

Datuk Mohd Zaki explained at the hearing that the trial had been brought forward because of the recent appointment of more judges to clear a backlog of cases.

The high court trial beings...