AG mum on discharge of Jong-nam murder suspect

PUTRAJAYA: Attorney General Tommy Thomas is keeping mum over the release of Indonesian Siti Aisyah, who was implicated in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Thomas was asked by the media about the latest development in the murder case when he was in the Court of Appeal yesterday for four appeals filed by former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He only replied “No comment” before rushing off.

On Monday, the Shah Alam High Court granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Siti Aisyah, 27, after the prosecution informed the court that it had been instructed to withdraw the charge.

In a statement after Siti Aisyah’s release, the Indonesian Embassy said President Joko Widodo had ordered efforts to secure her release immediately after she was arrested on Feb 15, 2017, two days after Jong-nam was murdered at KLIA2.

According to documents shared by Ind­onesian officials with the press, Indonesia’s Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna H. Laoly had written to Thomas requesting help for the release of Siti Aisyah.

Yasonna asked the AG to consider several matters, including that Siti Aisyah was deceived and was unaware that she was being used as an intelligence tool by North Korea.Thomas, in his reply, wrote that the prosecution would enter nolle prosequi against Siti Aisyah pursuant to Section 254 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

“By doing so, the prosecution will request the court to order a discharge not amounting to an acquittal against Siti Aisyah,” he said.