Sunday, June 03, 2007

Altantuya's trial begins



7pm news update: The A-G is unprofessional, Anwar says.
The former DPM described as "irresponsible" the decision by the Attorney General's Chamber to change the prosecutor team at the 11th hour, considering the importance and significance of the trial.

"Doubt has also been cast when one of the defence lawyers, Zulkifli Noordin, has to withdraw from the case. His statement proved that there was interference by third party that compromised his ability to prepare for the trial. Malaysia has to understand that the Altantuya case also put Malaysian judiciary on trial."

Read also Screenshots' update, Blow it up.

update lunchtime, June 4: The trial has been postponed, according to Bernama here.
Also read:
A Voice's Altantuya's Murder: Stop Speculating, Let the Court Decide; Damian Yeo's Mother of All Trials; Linken Lim's All Eyes on Razak Now

Original posting
Blogger bigdogdotcom has put up a post on Altantuya's murder trial, which begins tomorrow. It's a high-profile case that will see three men - two of them cops and one a political adviser - accused of the murder that shocked a nation.
I have left a comment under the posting, as a reminder also for myself.

Read Altantuya's Murder Trial Begins: Reality vs Fiction.

24 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:15 am

    Sorry, can't read the post. Link is all wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:12 am

    Rocks...the link doesn't work somehow...can fix ah?

    ReplyDelete
  3. dude u gotta fix that link. its pointing to nothing...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sorry a¡out the link.

    Please go to bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com to read the article.

    I will repair the link later, when I have access to the Net.

    - via the Blackberry

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous8:52 am

    I'm surprised why you linked to that pretty idiotic blog article. It piles unsubstantiated allegations on top of unsubstantiated allegations.

    Best of all, without a trace of irony - he/she wonders aloud why so certain people have written so many articles about a Mongolian they don't know or care about!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am actually wondering what Baginda's wife meant when she said , her husband has no ambition to be Prime Minister. People don't say things for nothing. She was a magistrate, not a dumb woman Baginda picked up in the dumps.

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  7. I have my take also entitled Altantuya Murder: Stop Speculating, Let The Court Decide!

    The link in your post shows my unamended title of Altantuya Murder: Its The Court To Decide!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous11:41 am

    Altantuya, Antantuya
    Ayah Pin Abu Ya
    Inilah nasib negara Malaysia
    Pemebasar punya ankara rakyat menderita.

    Altantuya, Antantuya
    Ayag Pin Abu Ya
    Bila dah jadi kaya raya
    Lupa diri lupa bangsa.

    Altantuya, Antantuya
    Ayah Pin Abu Ya
    Kerana setitik nila
    Rosak susu sebelanga.

    Altantuya, Antantuya
    Ayah Pin Abu Ya
    Nasib baik Gengis Khan dah tak ada
    Kalau tidak kita sudah dilanggarnya.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous11:54 am

    Bru, according to a Malaysiakini report:

    "Lead prosecutor Tun Majid Tun Hamzah had asked for one month to prepare for the trial.

    "I was only informed of this yesterday in the evening when I was on my way home. It's beyond me. I simply cannot prosecute this case at such short notice," the prosecutor told court.

    Application for postponement was also made by lawyer Karpal Singh who is holding a watching brief for Altantuya’s family."

    1. Why a new trial team?
    2. Why lead prosecutor was told only yesterday?
    3. Had the original team been compromised?
    4. Was there attempts at plea-bargaining?
    5. Was there attempts to interfere by poeple in high places?
    6. Why the changes of defense team?

    Our whole reputation as a civilized country is at stake. We must demand that the Judiciary exercises its full freedom and independence.

    ReplyDelete
  10. it would be an interesting watch no doubt.

    -The Man Who Sold The World-

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous2:29 pm

    Kata Tak Nak,

    Mazlinda Mahzan has almost hysterical when she said that, especially to a bunch of annoying photographers keep on getting in her way to get shots. Do you think she was in the best frame of mind when she said that?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Is this whole thing is gonna play out like a movie?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous3:01 pm

    rocky,
    Linking to bigdog's post and not any others mean you are somewhat agree to what he has put up in his post?
    well, i personally think he speaks like an extremists and hit out at those who has opposite standpoints. However i do agree some of his view on certain things.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I agree with sekenit that we must excuse Puan Mazlina for her outburst that her husband had no premiership ambition. Given her high emotive state at that time, we instead must extend to her our sympathy for being a loyal and faithful wife with a only child afflicted by infantile asthmatism.

    As for the court case, I think the prosecution has blundered again. It would appear that they had no confidence handling such high profile cases. I think the final outcome would be this:
    Baginda Razak is acquitted with the two policement being convicted of a lesser charge of manslaughter. By way of mitigation, Altantuya's father, who did not seem to have done a good job in bringing her up, would get the RM100 million he demanded by way of a civil suit, just like in O J Simpson.

    The its back to the "Malaysia Boleh" serial with its next episode.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous1:33 am

    i kinda agree with Simon Wee " I think the final outcome would be this:
    Baginda Razak is acquitted with the two policement being convicted of a lesser charge of manslaughter. By way of mitigation, Altantuya's father, who did not seem to have done a good job in bringing her up, would get the RM100 million he demanded by way of a civil suit, just like in O J Simpson."

    ReplyDelete
  16. Allow me to comment a bit to Sikenit. Yes, true I agree. Why those words. Why all of a sudden about ambitions to be pm. Why has that got to be the choiced phrase. And if you were to ask me, Yes I am indeed implying and speculating.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous1:25 pm

    why must bigdog attack susan loone? I think bigdog is wrong to attack susan. she is a good person and have a right to voice her opinion just like bigdog and a voice from the brick. bigdog please don't over do it.

    charanjit singh

    ReplyDelete
  18. Charanjit Singh

    I have not attacked Susan Loone personally for I believe she is a nice and good person. At stake is her coverage of the Altantuya debacle and thats it.

    As I said in my blog, this is a murder charge and lets not make speculation about anyone about it. The persecutor won't be persecuting unless the evidence are beyond reasonable doubt. Mind you, the burden of proof is on them.

    It is unfair when endless coverage of a criminal case is made to point as though Najib is linked and involved, and as though some power at be is meddling in the case. This is a murder case and the issue is in the act of killing.

    Her incessant coverage of 61 postings is beyond just reasonable exercise of her right to an opinion but it has reached fanatical preportion.

    I know she may thought she had hit a motherlode of a story, but not to the point of influencing public opinion with purely her opinion and being in faraway Bangkok possibly only 3rd or 4th party information. I am not aware if she is legally trained or not.

    The danger of preempting a court trial is that, if not on the judiciary, it could influence public opinion before a learned judgement by the judge is made. This will create public doubt in the judge decision and the judiciary, even if justice has been fairly done. There is the victim's life and at stake the life of the 4 accused. Do we want an innocent man/men judged wrongly? No.

    Its not me or bigdog over doing it. Our critique has no impact on anyone's life, unlike her's. I vehemently say she has over done it and I have every right to voice my distaste for her irresponsible actions ON THIS ISSUE. As a responsible blogger as she is, she shouldn't be hiding behind the convenience of the border to do a subjudicial act.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous5:00 pm

    Susan Loone wrote over 63 stories about Altantuya from 20 November 2006 till now. That is at a frequency of 3 story per day. So much to write when Susan dunno Altantuya and is not part of the investigation team???

    Why is she doing that? Did Susan know her? Why the obsession? Is it a political agenda? Was Susan paid to implicate Najib to the murder?

    Trial has not even started yet at yet Susan already written so much about it. Isn't that strange????

    It's also grossly unethical because she's jumping the gun and speculating on something which is already going to trial. (BTW, the two policemen were charged on 15 Nov 2006 and Razak Baginda on 16 Nov 2006 and Susan started her salvos on 20 Nov 2006).

    Charanjit, as much Susan is freely exercising her opinion, so am I!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous6:35 pm

    Error: For 5.00pm comment posting.

    Susan Loone published a story about Altantuya at a frequency of 3 day per story NOT 3 story per day, as earlier stated.

    Typo error much regretted.

    Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous7:46 pm

    Firstly I would like to thank rocky for allowing me to comment and to bigdog and a voice for their reply to my comment.
    It is ok for everyone to take side or write bias article in their blog, i mean it is their blog anyway. whether it is too much or not the coverage given by Susan in her blog concerning this particular murder case is a subjective thing. I do enjoy reading the information about this case in Susan blog and it is very informative and I thanks her for it. Sorry i don't think Susan comment is subjudicial but if it is then the court would take actionagainst her. she did blog under her name right and did not blog annoymously.
    Susan knows not to cross the line and she is a good journalist. In humble my opinion Susan is not actually taking side but putting all the information for all to read in her blog.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Nit-picking on Puan Mazlina is unnecessary as she is not the issue. I know she is proned to eruptive tantrum when confronted by perceived unjust comments or injustices. But deep down she is a nice lady.

    The issue is now focussed on the unseen hands of "3rd parties". They will ultmately be expose, but for the time being lets observe the spectacle unfolding.

    Is there bookies to take bets on the outcome. I forwarded my bet in my earlier post (Time 10:38pm).

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous12:33 am

    Susan knows not to cross the line????
    She's so far over the line!

    Look at her stories on the Altantuya murder. She played Judge Dredd through her writtings, AFTER the fact that the three were actually charged for murder and will be tried in a criminal court.

    What sort of nonsense journalism is that????

    She's a clear example what responsible blogging is NOT about!

    She's in Bangkok. That's why she dared to play subjudice to a case still pending trial. She is she's daring enough to do it in a Malaysian soil?

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous11:04 am

    This episode shows a lot.

    1. The AG is very insensitive towards public feelings. The last minute changes of prosecution team is simply typically of him, making decision. Its not unlawful but highly irregular.

    Same like the "tilam" in Anwar Ibrahim's abuse of power case.

    2. Where Altantuya gets her "gold digging" ways. Look at her father. Already suing RM 100 million on the 3 accused (NOT even found guilty yet and yet he already made his mind up!) and the Govt of Malaysia.

    How can one wear the shoes first before wearing the socks?

    Dr Shaariibuu Setev MUST ALLOW the criminal court DECIDE on the case FIRST before he put his private suit!

    The fact that Karpal Singh played along with the man, shows he is in it for another court room drama.

    ReplyDelete