Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar told the Shah Alam High Court today that he felt his interrogating officer had set him up when he was made to pose with jewellery believed to belong to Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu was with him.

Sirul, 36, kicked off the second trial-within-a-trial in the high profile murder case by denying making any disclosure about the jewellery to ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin on Nov 7 last year.

Last month Zulkarnain (photo) said Sirul told him: "I kept the jewellery in my jacket", and had nodded and pointed at the jewellery with his finger when they were at Sirul's Kota Damansara house.

During examination by his counsel Hasnal Rezua Merican, Sirul revealed that Zulkarnain had offered to help him if he did as ordered.

"I kept silent when he asked me questions about some items. He told me, 'Admit that you can show us the items. I want you to say you recognise the items, point at it and let the photographer take your photos. We're all officers. I can help you and this matter won't go to court'.

"I believed him. I thought he could help me," he testified.

Sirul also said that deputy special action unit (UTK) chief ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff - who escorted Sirul back from an assignment in Pakistan - had promised that Zulkarnain would help.

The second accused said Zulkarnain kept talking about the 'deceased's items' before making his offer and had threatened him slightly during interrogation.

"Zulkarnain raised his voice and said that he could treat me like other accused. His face was red and he was standing when he said it," he said.

Shocked and scared

The elite special action unit (UTK) officer also said he felt shocked and scared when Zulkarnain made that statement.

"I was scared that he would hit me. To my understanding, if it was another accused (in the room), Zulkarnain would have hit (that person)," he said.

Sirul testified he was later brought to his flat by Zulkarnain and several other officers but none of them had asked him for his home address.

At his Kota Damansara house, he saw a few UTK colleages and the bomb disposal unit at his flat's parking lot.

He told the court that he was cuffed with another officer and was ordered to sit at the dining table while Zulkarnain with other officers entered his bedroom.

"Zulkarnain and five other officers went into my room and closed the room. They were inside for about 10 minutes before the three UTK officers came out. Each of them was holding a bag," he said.

Sirul then said he was ordered to enter the room, stand next to the closet and to hold up a black leather jacket.

"Before Zulkarnain told me to hold the jacket, he told me 'Is this your jacket? Hold it'. I also saw that my bed sheets were messy and my ceiling fan was switched on.

An old jacket

Sirul said Zulkarnain then told him to stand next to the bed after taking the jacket out of the closet.

He noticed that the Kuala Lumpur Contingent headquarters-based officer took some items out of the pocket, placed the items on top of the jacket on the bed and ordered Sirul to point at the items.

"'Zulkarnain told me 'Point at the items' and I asked 'What is this?' but he made me do it. He told me 'Just point at the item, Sirul'.

"Then Zulkarnain made a photographer (lance corporal Kamarulzaman) come to take pictures of me posing (with the items)," he revealed.

It was at this moment that Sirul said he felt he was being set up by Zulkarnain.

"After Zul took the items out of the jacket, placed everything on the bed and made me point at them, I was confused and shocked.

"I thought to myself 'this is all done to incriminate me, to hurt me'," he revealed.

Sirul pointed out he has not worn the black leather jacket for a long time and did not know how the items were found on the inside pocket.

Sirul also said that he is living with another student who studied in Shah Alam and he was renting the flat from a Bukit Aman personnel.

Facing death penalty

Counsel will continue to submit their arguments before judge Mohd Zaki Mohd Yasin when the trial-within-a-trial continues tomorrow. The trial continued today after a three-week break.

Two police officers, chief inspector Azilah Hadri, 31, and Sirul, 36, are charged with the murder which allegedly took place between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.

Altantuya's body was said to be blown up in a jungle clearing in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, is charged with abetting the murder by giving the orders out to them at between 9.54am on Oct 18 and 9.45pm on Oct 19 last year in Kuala Lumpur.

All three accused face the death penalty if convicted.