Fate of Indonesian, Vietnamese women to be known today
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court will decide today whether two women, Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, should be freed or defend themselves.
They are charged with the murder of Kim Chol or Kim Jong-nam, the estranged halfbrother of North Korean leade Kim Jong-un, using the deadly nerve agent VX, last year.
If the decision of High Court Judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin is in favour of the prosecution that there is a prima facie case against the duo, they will be called to enter their defence and if otherwise, the two women will be acquitted.
Malaysia is the second country involved in a VX nerve agent attack. The first took place in Osaka, Japan in 1994, in which the chemical was sprayed on the neck of the victim. VX nerve agent is said to be the most dangerous chemical weapon.
Siti Aisyah, 26, and Doan, 29, were charged with four others still at large with the murder of Kim Chol, 45, at the klia2 departure hall at 9 am on Feb 13 last year.
The charge, under Section 302 of the Penal Code, provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.
Counsel Gooi Soon Seng, representing Siti Aisyah and counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik representing Doan believed that their clients would be acquitted.
“Based on the existing evidence in court we believe Siti Aisyah will be released without being called to enter her defence,” Gooi said.
“We are confident that justice will be served tomorrow and Doan will be acquitted. It cannot be said that the prosecution has produced credible evidence to establish a prima facie case,” said Hisyam.
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin said he hoped that the decision would be in their favour as the prosecution had produced strong evidence during the 39-day trial beginning Oct 2, 2017.
During the submission at the end of the prosecution case, Wan Shaharuddin said Siti Aishah and Doan were trained killers because they had identified their target and they carefully planned and executed their mission. - Bernama