PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has set Jan 13 to deliver its decision in the prosecution’s appeal against the acquittal of two former special action unit personnel on a charge of murdering Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Federal Court corporate communications and international relations head Mohd Aizuddin Zolkeply confirmed that the decision date has been fixed on Jan 13.

The decision would be delivered by a five-member panel led by Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria who heard the appeal for three days from June 23 last year and reserved its decision.

Presiding with him were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Tan Sri Abdull Hamid Embong, Tan Sri Suriyadi Halim Omar and Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop.

When contacted, lawyer Datuk Hazman Ahmad who is representing Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri said his legal firm had received a notice from the Federal Court registry on Tuesday, notifying the date for the decision.

Counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamarudin, representing Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, and deputy public prosecutor Datuk Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah also confirmed the date.

Tun Abdul Majid is also deputy solicitor General I (Litigation) in the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

The prosecution is appealing against the Aug 23, 2013 decision of the Court of Appeal in acquitting the two policemen.

The Court of Appeal had allowed the policemen’s appeal to set aside the 2009 Shah Alam High Court’s decision in finding them guilty of the woman’s murder and sentenced them to death.

Former political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 50, who was charged with abetting Azilah and Sirul Azhar, was acquitted by the High Court on Oct 31, 2008 after it held that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against him.

The prosecution did not appeal against his acquittal. — The Malaysian Insider

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 8, 2015.