Lawyer denies directing Sirul’s video exonerating Najib

Lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican has denied instructing Sirul Azhar Umar to make a video exonerating former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak of involvement in the murder of the Mongolian model and interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu.

The denial came after Sirul claimed to have been offered a substantial payment for his role in the 2016 video.

“I’ve not read his statement and I’ve not decided as to the next step. All I can say at this moment is that there is absolutely no truth in those allegations,” Hasnal (above) told Malaysiakini when contacted for comment about Sirul’s allegation.

In an interview aired by Al-Jazeera’s ‘101 East’ programme this morning, Sirul claimed Hasnal had offered him “around RM1 million” for the video and was told what to say.

“My solicitor (was) offering me, a lot of money to me if you (Sirul) do a video statement for Mr Najib,” Sirul said in the interview.

Hasnal was Sirul’s lawyer at the time and is currently a Suhakam commissioner. The Umno-linked lawyer had also contested the Kuang seat under the BN ticket during the Selangor state election in August this year.

READ MORE: Sirul still tight-lipped on Altantuya's murder mastermind

In a series of videos released in January 2016, Sirul claimed he was being used to “topple and slander” someone, whom he did not name but is widely understood to be referring to Najib. He also said Najib was not involved in “the case”, which is understood to be referring to Altantuya’s murder.

The videos came at a time when Najib was facing significant political challenges due to the 1MDB scandal. The then attorney-general Mohamad Apandi Ali had just cleared him of culpability for the RM2.6 billion ‘donation’ he allegedly received, but this failed to silence his critics.

The purported donation is now the subject of a corruption charge against Najib that is still pending at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur. For the record, Najib has also denied involvement in Altantuya’s murder.

Paid for silence

Meanwhile, in the Al-Jazeera programme, it is unclear whether the RM1 million offer was actually transacted but Sirul admitted to being paid for his silence.

“Yes, I was. Because I have no work, nothing, no choice. So, they offered and gave me some money.

“I spent for my son, you know, because I love my son. My son is going to grow up here (in Australia), you know, spend a lot of money, study here. Everything. And my daughter, as well,” he said.

He also claimed he has never paid his lawyers whether in Malaysia or in Australia, and does not know where is the money coming from. The money was channelled to him through his lawyers.

Sirul and his superior officer Azilah Hadri are both Najib’s former bodyguards who had been convicted of Altantuya’s murder.

However, Sirul managed to flee to Australia, where he could not be extradited because of the country’s policy of not deporting people to countries where they may face the death penalty.

He has been freed from immigration detention after a high court in Australia ruled that its government cannot hold immigration detainees indefinitely.

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