Records deleted: Immigration must explain
Published: Jul 4, 2007 3:14 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
An opposition party has urged the Immigration Department to respond to a claim by a Mongolian witness in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial that her entry records into Malaysia were deleted.
An opposition leader wants to know how a Mongolian national's entry into the country can go missing from the immigration department's records.
An opposition party has urged the Immigration Department to respond to a claim by a Mongolian witness in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial that her entry records into Malaysia were deleted.
On June 26, Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir told the Shah Alam High Court that her entry into the country had been deleted from the department's computers.
"The department should give a full explanation on how entry records could be deleted, make a full apology and carry out the necessary corrections if a mistake was made," said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in a statement today.
He said government officials, if found guilty of the allegations, should suffer "the harshest actions possible", including imprisonment.
Lim called for more transparency from the immigration authorities, saying that such allegations would effect Malaysia's international reputation and trust from other nations.
Many twists and turns
The opposition leader also expressed disappointment with the conduct of the high profile trial itself.
"There are so many twists and turns in this murder trial that the conduct of the trial itself is becoming a spectacle and an issue of public interest with Malaysians.
"Judges have been changed, defence counsels changed and even the prosecution team changed at the last minute. Now even the prosecution star witness is impeached by the prosecution themselves for perjury," he said.
On Monday, the prosecution applied to impeach their star witness Rohaniza Roslan, 29, over the contradictions in her court testimony and police statement recorded earlier.
Lim said his party is concerned that this development will "heavily jeorpardise" the prosecution's case.
"The abysmal preparation of the case continues the poor quality and unprofessional work done by the prosecution following the acquittal of tycoon Eric Chia," he added.
Two policemen from the Special Action Squad, chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 30 and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, have been charged with the murder of Altantuya. Whereas renowned political analyst Abdul Razak, 47, is charged with abetting them.
All three accused face the death penalty if found guilty.
Prosecutors say Abdul Razak planned her killing and ordered two police officers - members of a special unit charged with protecting the country's leaders - to carry it out.
The 28-year-old Mongolian national was killed by "probable blast-related" injuries in a clearing in Shah Alam after she was driven away from outside Abdul Razak's house in mid-October.
On June 26, Uuriintuya Gal-Ochir told the Shah Alam High Court that her entry into the country had been deleted from the department's computers. "The department should give a full explanation on how entry records could be deleted, make a full apology and carry out the necessary corrections if a mistake was made," said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in a statement today.
He said government officials, if found guilty of the allegations, should suffer "the harshest actions possible", including imprisonment.
Lim called for more transparency from the immigration authorities, saying that such allegations would effect Malaysia's international reputation and trust from other nations.
Many twists and turns
The opposition leader also expressed disappointment with the conduct of the high profile trial itself.
"There are so many twists and turns in this murder trial that the conduct of the trial itself is becoming a spectacle and an issue of public interest with Malaysians.
"Judges have been changed, defence counsels changed and even the prosecution team changed at the last minute. Now even the prosecution star witness is impeached by the prosecution themselves for perjury," he said.
On Monday, the prosecution applied to impeach their star witness Rohaniza Roslan, 29, over the contradictions in her court testimony and police statement recorded earlier.
Lim said his party is concerned that this development will "heavily jeorpardise" the prosecution's case. "The abysmal preparation of the case continues the poor quality and unprofessional work done by the prosecution following the acquittal of tycoon Eric Chia," he added.
Two policemen from the Special Action Squad, chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 30 and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35, have been charged with the murder of Altantuya. Whereas renowned political analyst Abdul Razak, 47, is charged with abetting them.
All three accused face the death penalty if found guilty.
Prosecutors say Abdul Razak planned her killing and ordered two police officers - members of a special unit charged with protecting the country's leaders - to carry it out.
The 28-year-old Mongolian national was killed by "probable blast-related" injuries in a clearing in Shah Alam after she was driven away from outside Abdul Razak's house in mid-October.
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