Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri had claimed that second accused Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar murdered 28-year-old Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, the Shah Alam High Court heard today.

This was revealed by deputy commander of the Special Action Squad (UTK) ACP Mastor Mohd Ariff. Both Azilah, 30, the first accused, and Sirul, 36, are members of the elite police unit.

Mastor, 45, ( right ) said he was told that Azilah had blamed Sirul for the gruesome murder of Altantuya, who was blown up with explosives in a jungle clearing in Selangor.

The UTK deputy commander said during a flight from Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur on Nov 6 last year, he had finally explained to Sirul why he was being relieved of his duties in escorting Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Pakistan.

"I told him, 'Federal CID deputy director (II) Syed Ismail Syed Azizan told me that Azilah had told the police during interrogation that you killed a Mongolian woman and blew her up'."

"I told him that this was the reason why I needed to bring him back to Malaysia. I also told him that the story had been exposed and there's nothing to hide," he added.

Trial within trial

Yesterday, the courtroom was kept in suspense when the prosecution submitted a confession but the hearing was adjourned before it was revealed.

However, the confession was still not disclosed today as Azilah's counsel Hazman Ahmad and Sirul's lawyer Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin requested for a voir dire (trial within trial) to establish the voluntariness of Sirul's response before establishing that it is a confession.

The court then entered its voir dire to challenge the voluntariness of the alleged confession made by Sirul which also incriminates Azilah.

The voir dire began with deputy public prosecutor Tun Majid Tun Hamzah asking Mastor to describe Sirul's expression before and after telling him the real reason for bringing the accused back home.

"Sirul responded after two to three minutes. During that time, he looked nervous and was shivering," Mastor told the packed courtroom.

The deputy commander also said that he did not threaten, force or make any promises to Sirul in exchange for an answer.

However, he admitted using a "very commanding" tone when he quizzed Sirul on the matter.

Mastor said he contacted Syed Ismail when they landed in Kuala Lumpur and told him what Sirul's response was on their MAS MH 0785 flight from Bangkok.

He later handed Sirul over to the Kuala Lumpur D9 (serious crime division).

Sirul takes the stand

Mastor told Kamarul during cross-examination that Sirul was in the custody and control of two other officers, sergeant Jelima Tasiran dan corporal Zamri Abu Bakar, at all times.

He also said Sirul surrendered his passport to Mastor and was also ordered to wear a backpack during their transit in Bangkok.

"Logically, it would be more difficult for him to run away with a backpack on. The risk of him running away in Bangkok was quite high," he explained.

Mastor also revealed that he had volunteered to retrieve Sirul from Pakistan after Syed Ismail told him about the allegation from the first accused.

The voir dire lasted for almost three hours before judge Mohd Zaki Md Yasin adjourned the session for lunch, which resumed later in the afternoon. [see related report]

Mastor can only reveal Sirul's alleged mid-air confession after Mohd Zaki decides on whether the corporal's response amounted to a confession and whether it was made voluntarily.

Azilah and Sirul are charged with the murder of the Mongolian which allegedly took place between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20 last year.

Renowned political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, 47, is charged with abetting them. All three accused face the death penalty if convicted.

Related report: Cop admits to making a 'confession'