Liow to brief victims’ kin on Dutch trial
SEPANG: The Transport Ministry will meet the next-of-kin of downed Malaysia Airlines Bhd (MAS) Flight MH17 to brief them on the criminal proceedings involving the case in the Netherlands.
Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the meeting would be held next Thursday in Putrajaya, before the third anniversary of the tragedy.
“I will meet and speak to them on the latest development on the MH17 criminal investigation and proceedings,” he said after the opening of the Renesas Electronics Kuala Lumpur distribution centre at MAS freight forwarders complex at KLIA here yesterday.
Liow said the criminal investigation was still underway and the Netherlands authorities had narrowed the suspects down to 100.
“We hope the investigations will be completed by early next year. After that we will be able to prosecute the suspects at the Netherlands court,” he said.
Yesterday, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Ukraine agreed to charge the suspects in the Netherlands instead of an international court.
The trial would take place within the framework of the Dutch criminal justice system, on the basis of tried and tested substantive and procedural criminal law, Liow added.
He said the Dutch legal system granted considerable rights to the next-of-kin to observe and participate in the proceedings.
He said he was confident that the Dutch law could bring the justice to the victims.