Us Seeks Extradition Of North Korean From Malaysia

---

The North Korean embassy in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur. (AFP pic)KUALA LUMPUR: The US is seeking the extradition of a North Korean man from Malaysia for alleged involvement in money-laundering in breach of sanctions against Pyongyang, a court heard Thursday
Mun Chol Myong, who has lived in Malaysia for a decade with his wife and two daughters, was arrested in May
The 54-year-old is facing five counts of money-laundering in the US
Prosecutors said the charges relate to the trade in luxury goods, including liquor, to the North
North Korea has been hit with repeated rounds of crippling sanctions – imposed by the United Nations and countries such as the US – over its nuclear weapons programme
These include trying to halt the trade in luxury goods as a way of targeting the country’s elite
Mun has been in custody since his arrest and last month a judge rejected a bail application, saying he was a flight risk
At a hearing today, lawyer Jagjit Singh again argued Mun should be released on bail and complained prosecutors had not shared documents from US officials with the defence
“It is not a violent offence… It is only money laundering offence not terrorism related,” he told the court
Mun was unwell and had lost 10kg since being arrested, the lawyer said
But the judge rejected the request for Mun’s release and set the next hearing for July 12
His lawyers say he will fight the extradition bid, meaning the case could drag on for years
Prosecutor Faizul Aswad Masri said the offences allegedly happened between 2014 and 2017, and involved “controlled items which cannot be exported to North Korea”
He did not give further details
In Singapore, three people were charged last year with supplying luxury goods, including jewellery, wine and perfume, to North Korea in violation of UN sanctions. - FMT

---