Zahid: Altantuya’s immigration records kept confidential due to trial

THURSDAY, APRIL 14 KUALA LUMPUR- Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi attends Vaisakhi Day Hi Tea at Sentul Gurdwara Sahib, Sentul at 1015 (0215 GMT); KUALA LUMPUR- Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi officiates National Key Targets Seminar 2016 at Sasana Kijang Auditorium, Sasana Kijang at 1145 (0345 GMT)

KUALA LUMPUR: Immigration records of deceased Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu was kept confidential to avoid affecting her murder trial, Parliament was told.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in a parliamentary written reply Monday said the police had investigated the immigration records of the deceased.

"We found that there was movement (travel) and so the documents were used for investigations.

"Therefore, there was no need for the documents or its details to be revealed until the trial was over," he said, adding that disclosing it may disrupt the case.

He was answering to Alor Setar MP Gooi Hsiao Leung who had questioned as to why the Government had waited until December 2015 to confirm that immigration records of Altantuya were not erased.  

Allegations had previously surfaced, particularly from Altantuya’s family, that her immigration records were removed from the system in an attempt to cover up the actual cause of her murder.

Abdul Razak Baginda who stood trial for the murder of the Mongolian national in 2006 was acquitted in 2008.

On Jan 13 last year, the Federal Court convicted two former Special Action Unit personnel Kpl Sirul Azhar Umar and C/Insp Azilah Hadri for the murder.