North Korean denied bail while awaiting extradition hearing to US

A North Korean businessperson, wanted by the United States to answer charges of money laundering among others, failed to set aside the 60-day provisional arrest warrant issued against him.

Mun Chol-myong, 54, was seen coughing several times in the dock today when Kuala Lumpur magistrate Noorasyikin Sahat made the ruling to reject the oral bail application by the respondent's lawyers, Jagjit Singh and Akberdin Abdul Kader.

Mun, who had lived in Malaysia with his wife and daughter for the past 10 years, was detained on May 14 pursuant to the provisional arrest warrant issued by Noorasyikin under Section 13 (1) (b) of the Extradition Act 1992.

Upon the warrant being issued on May 13, the respondent was arrested at his home in Taman Gembira, Petaling Jaya, the next day.

In her brief oral ruling today, Noorasyikin said the respondent's sickness is not sufficient ground to allow him bail as the lockup has sufficient medical facilities.

The magistrate said that submission by his lawyers that he needs to take care of his wife, who was diagnosed with cancer 10 years ago, holds no ground as he found out her health status a decade ago and should have made sufficient preparations to care for her by now.

”With regard to (submissions that Mun is enrolled in) Malaysia My Second Home programme, it does not amount to an automatic (right) for him to be granted bail (against a provisional arrest warrant)," she said.

Noorasyikin also pointed out that the respondent may pose a flight risk due to the chilled relations between his home country North Korea and the United States, the country which seeks his extradition from Malaysia.

She then fixed July 4 for next mention in the same magistrate court.

The case would later be transferred to the Sessions Court, where the extradition hearing would take place.

DPP Faizul Aswad Masri appeared for the prosecution.

When met after proceedings, Faizul said that Mun is wanted by the US authorities to answer money laundering charges involving luxury goods.

”We are now awaiting further instructions from the Home Minister (in relation to the extradition to the US)," the DPP said.

Earlier during open-court proceedings, Akberdin argued that the magistrate's court has the discretion to grant bail because the respondent was merely wanted by the US to answer money laundering rather than terrorism charges.

Faizul countered that the current chilled relations between North Korea and the US, coupled with Malaysia's own uncertain relations with the reclusive Asian nation, posed a flight risk which required Mun to remain under provisional warrant of arrest pending the extradition hearing. - Mkini