PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has fixed Jan 20, 2026, for its decision on the government and political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda's appeals against a High Court ruling in favour of the family of the murdered Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Lawyer Abraham Au, who represents Abdul Razak, said the date was set during case management on Nov 4 before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mariam Hasanah Othman.
On Oct 9, the appellate court three-man bench comprising Justices Datuk Hashim Hamzah, Datuk Azman Abdullah and K. Muniandy deferred their decision after hearing submissions from all parties in the appeal.
Altantuya's parents and grandson had filed a RM100mil lawsuit on June 4, 2007, claiming that her death caused them mental shock and psychological trauma.
The Shah Alam High Court on Dec 16, 2022, allowed the lawsuit filed by Altantuya's family and ordered former police officers Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, Abdul Razak and the government to jointly pay RM5mil in damages. The government and Abdul Razak subsequently appealed against the High Court's decision.
Azilah and Sirul were convicted in 2009 of murdering Altantuya in Shah Alam between Oct 19 and 20, 2006. The Federal Court, in 2015, upheld their convictions and death sentences after overturning a prior acquittal by the Court of Appeal.
In October 2023, the Federal Court allowed Azilah's review application and commuted his death sentence to 40 years' imprisonment. – Bernama
