Malaysia to deploy extradition means to get perpetrators of MH17 shooting to justice

MALAYSIA will provide assistance by deploying international methods of cooperation through extradition to get the parties responsible for the shooting down of the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 to justice.

The Transport Ministry said Malaysia would also use joint legal assistance in line with the existing domestic laws, namely the Extradition Act 1992 (Act 479) and Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 2002 (Act 621) if it could be adopted.

“Malaysia will also be with other countries in the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to exert political pressure to get the people involved in the shooting down of Flight MH17,” the ministry said in a written reply to William Leong Jee Keen (PKR-Selayang), who wanted to know how the government could assist in investigations, arrests and prosecutions against those who shot down MH17 in the Netherlands Court.

The Boeing B777 aircraft was on a flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, when it was shot down in Donetsk, east Ukraine on 17 July, 2014, killing all 298 passengers and crew on board, including 44 Malaysians.

Meanwhile on Malaysia’s assistance in the prosecution phase later, the ministry said Malaysia would continue to cooperate with the countries represented in the JIT as being currently implemented in the preparation of the prosecution mechanism.

Malaysia also intends to participate in the national prosecution or as an observer throughout the criminal proceedings.

“However it is subject to further discussion with the Dutch Public Prosecutor and other countries represented in the JIT,” said the written reply.

Malaysia, along with the countries represented in the JIT, had also agreed to provide financial contributions to the Dutch in carrying out the national prosecution. — Bernama