Altantuya's father: I've seen picture of my daughter with two men

Shaaribuu Setev - File pix

SHAH ALAM (Bernama): Dr Shaariibuu Setev, the father of slain Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, told the High Court here that he has seen the picture of a murdered Mongolian woman together with two men which was produced to in court.

Dr Shaariibuu, 69, who is a part-time professor at the Mongolian National University, however, was slightly agitated when he was repeatedly questioned by Senior Federal Counsel Norina Bahadun about the picture of his daughter with the two men, which was said to have been altered.

He also questioned on the lawyer's action who kept on asking about the picture, saying that he had seen the picture only once.

“You all are asking me the same question. Why not you call the people in the picture and ask themselves,” he said when asked by Norina, who acted for the Malaysian government at the hearing of a RM100mil suit filed by him and his family against two former policemen, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar; political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda and the Malaysian government.

Earlier, Norina suggested to Dr Shaariibuu that the picture was never shown to him by Altantuya.

Dr Shaariibuu also did not agree when asked by Norina  that the picture actually never existed.  

He said Altantuya had shown him the picture when she came to his office at the Mongolian National University.

He added, she took out the 8 x 12 centimetre sized picture from her handbag, and told the court he did not find the original photo after this.

When asked by his counsel Ramkarpal Singh on Altantuya's purpose to come to Malaysia, Dr Shaariibuu said his daughter only showed him the picture.

“I was only shown the picture once. If I had known the importance of the picture, I am sure to have kept it then. Too many facts and not only the picture,” he added.

To a question by counsel Manjeet Singh Dhillon, acting for Abdul Razak Baginda, Dr Shaariibuu said the Royal Malaysia Police has never shown him the picture when he was testifying to them.

He explained that he only saw the picture once when it was shown by Altantuya but he could not remember fully.   

Dr Shaariibuu also told the High Court that the police did not inform him on who allegedly altered the photo of the trio.  

Dr Shaariibuu and his wife Altantsetseg Sanjaa and their two grandsons, Mungunshagai Bayarjargal and Altanshagai Munkhtulga, filed the RM100mil suit on June 4, 2007.

However, Altanshagai Munkhtulga's name was later removed as a plaintiff as he died two years ago.