Al-Jazeera host says channel stands by accuracy of Altantuya murder documentary
By BY YISWAREE PALANSAMY | The Malay Mail Online – 3 hours agot
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KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — The host of the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder documentary aired by Al-Jazeera in September said the broadcaster still stands by the accuracy of the programme, after a businessman here threatened to sue for defamation.
The host, Australian freelance journalist Mary Ann Jolley, would not comment further on the matter, however, noting that she has yet to receive any letter of demand from Abdul Salam Ahmad.
“Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to respond to Abdul Salam Ahmad’s comments, but as Al-Jazeera has not received any communication from him or his lawyer regarding a criminal defamation case against the network, I cannot comment.
“But, as said previously, Al-Jazeera stands by the accuracy of ‘Murder in Malaysia’,” Jolley said in an email to the Malay Mail Online yesterday.
Abdul Salam had on Tuesday lodged a police report in Shah Alam against Al-Jazeera, claiming the international broadcaster defamed him in the documentary when it named him as a middleman in a purported negotiation involving Sirul Azhar Umar.
Sirul, a former police commando, was sentenced to death for Altantuya’s murder and is currently seeking asylum in Australia.
Abdul Salam’s lawyer Akbardin Abdul Kader told Malay Mail Online Tuesday night that apart from lodging the report, his client has also instructed him to file a lawsuit against the international broadcaster.
In an interview with the Malay Mail Online in September after the documentary was aired, Jolley, who was investigating the murder, had said that Sirul had sent several text messages to Abdul Salam in January this year asking for millions of dollars to “remain in Australia and not bring down the PM”.
In his police report, however, Abdul Salam claimed that the SMS citing his name was defamatory, and that he had never played any role for any party for Sirul Azhar.
In the report, Abdul Salam also claimed that he had contacted Jolley to seek an explanation but she never responded.
He added that the documentary had also defamed him by reportedly claiming that he had a “history of bribery”.
A copy of the report was made available to the Malay Mail Online.
Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said in September that the police are investigating Al-Jazeera under Section 505B of the Penal Code that prohibits the publishing of statements, rumours or reports that could cause public fear or alarm.
He accused the Doha-based news organisation of basing their “Murder in Malaysia” documentary on hearsay and of trying to “plant new evidence”.
Sirul and former police commando Azilah Hadri were both sentenced to death in January this year for the 2006 murder of Altantuya when the Federal Court reversed their previous acquittal, but Sirul fled to Australia after he was acquitted in 2013.
Abdul Razak Baginda, who was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s then-aide when the latter was deputy prime minister, was acquitted of abetment in Altantuya’s murder without his defence being called.
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