KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 13-- Malaysia's Federal Court on Tuesday upheld the conviction and death sentence against two policemen for murdering a Mongolian model in 2006, a case that linked to the country's purchase of two submarines from France.

Sirul Azhar Umar, 43, and Azilah Hadri, 38, both members of the Special Police Force, were sentenced to death in 2009 for murdering translator Altantuya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian model.

The Court of Appeal overturned the ruling on Aug. 23, 2013.

Altantuya was allegedly the lover of political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a close confidante of Najib, who was then Malaysia' s deputy prime minister and defense minister. Altantuya was reportedly at the center of alleged heavy kickbacks in submarine deal.

Justice Suriyadi Halim Omar, who read the judgment on Tuesday morning, ruled that the prosecution had proven its case against the two accused beyond reasonable doubt.

Azilah was seen wearing a pinstripe suit, seated outside the dock at the court. Sirul did not attend the hearing and his lead counsel Hamarul Hisham Kamaruddin told the judges that Sirul could not be contacted.