Police: Arrest warrant next if N. Korea does not hand over diplomat

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police will obtain a warrant of arrest for diplomat Hyon Kwangsong if the North Korean Embassy does not hand him over within a “reasonable” time.

“If a person does not cooperate, we will issue a notice compelling him or her to be present before an investigating team,” Selangor police chief Comm Datuk Seri Abdul Samah Mat said.

“Failing to do so, our next step would be to obtain a warrant for arrest from the court.”

He said the police would give the embassy a “reasonable” time to hand over the wanted person and would “compel for his arrest” if the response was negative.

However, he declined to elaborate what he meant by a “reasonable” time frame.

On Wednesday, North Korean Embassy Second Secretary Hyon, 44, was named by InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar as one of those sought by the police in the probe into Kim Jongnam’s death.

At a press conference yesterday, Comm Abdul Samah said police had the right to call in anybody to record their statement despite Hyon’s diplomatic immunity.

“We are exercising all our police power in investigating this crime.”

It was reported that Malaysia would have to ask North Korea to lift the diplomatic immunity on Hyon before he could be called in by the police.

Diplomatic officials said no action could be taken by the police as the rules came under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The Vienna Convention protects diplomatic grade officers from prosecution under civil and criminal laws.