The Altantuya murder — a recap

KINIGUIDE | In 2006, Malaysia witnessed its most politically-charged murder case ever following the brutal slaying of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Now, the case is back under the spotlight with former chief inspector Azilah Hadri, who was co-convicted of the murder, accusing ex-premier Najib Abdul Razak of ordering the hit.

This instalment of KiniGuide offers a quick recap of the Altantuya murder trial at the High Court, which involved 84 witnesses and was heard over a record 151 days.

Who is Altantuya?

According to court testimonies, Altantuya, 28, was hired by defence analyst Abdul Razak Baginda as a translator.

In his own testimony, Razak admitted to a romantic relationship with Altantuya in 2004.

In October 2006, Altantuya and her cousin arrived in Malaysia. She was picked up in front of Razak's house on Oct 19, 2006 by police personnel and never seen again.

Three weeks later, some of her remains were found in a forested area near Puncak Alam. It appeared that she had been blown up with explosives.

Who were the suspects?

The police immediately arrested chief inspector Azilah Hadri in Malaysia and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar.

At the time of his arrest, Sirul was in Islamabad, Pakistan as part of then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's security detail.

Following this, the police arrested Razak, a well-connected defence and political analyst known to enjoy close ties with then deputy prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Azilah and Sirul were charged on Nov 15, 2006 for murder. Razak was charged for abetting the duo by conspiring with them at his office in Kuala Lumpur.

Curiously, the court...