Sirul: I was made out to be the "black sheep"
SHAH ALAM (Feb 4, 2009) : Cpl Sirul Azhar Umar broke down today when he said he was made out to be a "black sheep" (scapegoat) to be sacrificed to protect the plans and intentions of others who are not present in court to face the consequences of their act.
 |
Sirul Azhar, 37, of the Bukit Aman Special Action Unit (UTK), tugged at the heartstrings of those in the High Court here by appealing that he not be found guilty and sentenced to death.
"I don't have any reason to cause hurt, what more to take the life of the victim so cruelly. I beg the court, not to punish me and to complete their plans against me," he said, adding that throughout the proceedings, he had observed that a few key prosecution witnesses, especially from the federal serious crime division (D9), did not tell the truth and constantly changed their stories when cross-examined.
"I have observed this carefully, as to me their actions are to get me convicted," he said.
"I appeal to the court, which has the powers to determine if I live or die, not to sentence me so as to fulfill others' plans for me," he said while wiping away tears.
His younger sister and an older cousin who were in the public gallery were also seen wiping away tears.
Clad in a black suit and black shirt, Sirul paused several times to compose himself while reading from his statement.
After he finished reading, he sat down on the bench in the dock and wiped his tears.
Earlier, Sirul was also emotional when he related how he was ordered by ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff to come back to Malaysia, while he was on duty as the prime minister's personal bodyguard at a hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan on Nov 5, 2006.
"Mastor ordered me to come back to Malaysia on the grounds that my former wife ... lodged a police report against me and I needed to go back to settle the problem, " said Sirul, his voice breaking.
Earlier, in his defence, Sirul said first accused Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri told him that DSP Musa Safri told him (Azilah) of a friend who was facing "woman problem", while they were on their way to Musa's friend's house in Bukit Damansara.
He said Azilah also said "DSP Musa's friend" is of high position, a businessman and wealthy. However, he said, Azilah did not reveal the identity of "DSP Musa's friend" (Razak).
He said Azilah told him a Chinese woman and a Chinese man, believed to be her brother, had caused a disturbance and chaos in front of the man's house and that the woman was a former girlfriend of the man, whom he referred to as "DSP Musa's friend".
Sirul said according to Azilah, he had promised DSP Musa that he would help his "friend" by patrolling around the bungalow area from time to time during after-duty hours to prevent the woman and man from causing chaos in front of the house.
He said at that stage, Azilah asked him whether he could help to patrol if Azilah had official duty outside Kuala Lumpur and if Sirul did not have any official duty.
Sirul Azhar said the agreement to make rounds of the vicinity of Abdul Razak's house was a favour as he knew Musa was a superior officer and it was also a directive from Azilah who was also his superior officer.
He said along the way, Azilah also told him that a woman and a man believed to be the woman's elder brother, both Chinese, had caused a disturbance outside DSP Musa's friend's house.
He said according to Azilah, the woman was a former lover of DSP Musa's friend.
He also admitted having gone to Hotel Malaya (where Altantuya stayed) together with Azilah that day to meet the Mongiolian woman but they were unsuccessful as Azilah did not know her room number.
Sirul Azhar said on Oct 19, 2006, Azilah called him at 8.45pm and told him to come to Abdul Razak's house to provide assistance in case the Chinese man and woman who caused disturbance became violent.
He said when he reached the house (on foot as he had parked on the curb), he saw Azilah talking to a Chinese woman and an Indian man, and when Azilah saw him, he motioned to him to get into a red Wira Aeroback.
"Not long after, I saw the Chinese woman walk towards the car followed by Azilah and the Indian man. The Chinese woman opened the back passenger door and got in," Sirul Azhar.
He said the car driven by Azilah headed towards a junction and he asked Azilah to drop him off so he could get his car.
He said Azilah then followed his car and stopped at a bus stop and he met Azilah and was told that the woman had shown good behaviour and repsonse after being advised not create a disturbance at Abdul Razak's house.
"I told Azilah that in view of the situation being under control and I had no further role I wanted to go home. Azilah said OK. After that I continued driving from Jalan Damansara and turned towards the Jalan Duta government offices complex.
"Before turning into the New Klang Valley Expressway, I called Azilah to ask if I had to patrol around DSP Musa's friend's house the following day as Azilah would be on duty in Putrajaya.
"Azilah said he had advised the Chinese woman and she had agreed not to create any disturbance in front of DSP Musa's friend's house anymore. Azilah told me I need not make a patrol the next day," he said.
Sirul Azhar said he arrived at the house at 10pm and left at midnight and headed towards the Jalan Damansara toll plaza, on to the Jalan Duta toll plaza and on to Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur to 'bersahur' (post-midnight meal).
Earlier in the trial, the prosecution had put forward the route as an alternative route for Azilah and Sirul Azhar to take Altantuya to Puncak Alam from Abdul Razak's house.
Azilah in his defence also did not state that Sirul Azhar had gone home but rather Sirul Azhar had followed him to Bukit Aman and had agreed to send Altantuya to the hotel that night.
Azilah and Sirul are charged with murdering the 28-year-old Mongolian woman in Mukim Bukit Raja between 10pm on Oct 19, 2006 and 1am the following day.
Justice Datuk Zaki Md Yasin on Oct 31 last year ordered them to enter their defence.
Sirul Azhar said before leaving for Pakistan on Oct 31, 2006 for protection duty for the Prime Minister, he had left his vechicle, a jeep, at the car park in the Bukit Aman compound and left the keys with a Sergeant Rosli.
"Before leaving for Pakistan, I had cleaned my car and arranged things in it including a pair of red slippers which I placed beside a large plactic box in the rear of the vehicle," he said.
However, he said, the slippers presented as evidence (which had stains of Altantuya's blood) were not his as the colour was different and were not the same size as his feet.
Relating how he was taken to the scene of the crime, Sirul Azhar said ASP Tonny Lunggan (the investigating officer in the case) had instructed several police officers, who had a video camera, to go to an area on Nov 6, 2006, but were there for only a short while as it getting dark.
Sirul Azhar said the next day ASP Zulkarnain Samsudin (a prosecution witness) had asked him to make a confession by saying "...it's like this, Sirul, if you agree you follow me, you identify the items, you hold and point towards them while the photographers takes photos, I can help you and we will not take this matter to court."
He said without asking any questions he followed several police personnel to his house and there he saw Zulkarnain open the door using a key which he had handed over to ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff (a senior UTK officer) while in Pakistan.
However, Sirul Azhar said the key produced in court was not his house key as the key (produced) was shiny while his key was faded.
He said while in the house he was forced to hold a jacket and point to Altantuya's belongings to be photographed and at that time he was not read any 'caution' by any police officer.
After Sirul finished reading his statement, his lawyer, Hasnal Redzua Merican, said the defence would not call any other witness and closed its case.
Judge Mohd Zaki fixed Feb 16 and 17 for submissions before he makes a decision.
