Police in Malaysia will be calling in several witnesses to record statements on the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006.

According to Malaysiakini, this latest development comes after former Police Special Force officer Azilah Hadri applied for a review of his murder conviction.

It was reported on Dec. 16 that in the process of Azilah's application, he made a statutory declaration which, for the first time, revealed that former Prime Minister Najib Razak had given instructions to him to kill Altantuya.

The Malay Mail reported that Azilah claimed to have no motive in the murder and was instead following Najib’s alleged order to "shoot to kill".

According to the statutory declaration, the former assault commander of the police’s Special Action Unit (UTK), believed that the killing was part of a secret operation involving espionage and the country’s national security.

Malaysia's Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador was quoted by The Malay Mail as saying that it was the police's "duty to investigate the statutory declaration from Azilah".

Speaking to local media on Dec. 23, Hamid also confirmed that the police had "identified a few individual witnesses" and would be calling them in to record statements.

Najib's denial

CNA reported that Azilah's explosive claim prompted Najib to head to a Kuala Lumpur mosque to proclaim his innocence in an Islamic oath known as the sumpah laknat.

A 1000-strong crowd packed the mosque and cheered as the embattled former prime minister denied the allegations and pumped his fist in the air.

"I stand with the truth, I only fear Allah," he said.

Investigations into Altantuya's murder were reopened a year after Najib lost power, according to CNA.

Background of the case

According to SCMP, Altantuya — a Mongolian professional translator who had previously trained as a model — was believed to have been employed by Abdul Razak Baginda, a close aide of Najib when he was defence minister.

She would accompany Abdul Razak on business trips made on behalf of the Malaysian government that involved controversial defence deals — the two had an affair in 2004.

In November 2006, her remains were discovered in a forest in Selangor, reported SCMP.

Azilah had previously been convicted of the gruesome crime that involved shooting the Mongolian woman and blowing up her body with explosives.

Another policeman, Sirul Azahar Umar, was also convicted for the murder but fled to Australia where he is being held in detention.

CNA reports that Sirul has expressed his willingness to assist the new investigation but Australia is unlikely to extradite him as he is facing the death penalty.

Top image by Mohd Rasfan/AFP via Getty Images