The lawyer for one of the women accused of poisoning Kim Jong-nam at KLIA2 has cried “unethical” behavior unto the Malaysian authorities.
His reasoning? The lack of sharing evidence with his defense team.
The two women, Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28, have been charged with the murder of Kim, the brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, and face the death sentence if found guilty.
The case was transferred to the High Court earlier today.
While the police say that the women were well-aware of their actions, the two have repeatedly told police that they believed they were taking part in the world’s strangest game show, where they would “pretend” smear a handkerchief over the faces of targets. Ha ha ha ha… Ha.
While performing the stunt, the two women were watched by a group of seated North Korean men, who authorities claim were their “handlers.” After the poisoning occurred, the men boarded flights to various destinations, leaving the two women in their wake to deal with authorities.
The story of the two women was detailed in the BBC this week, and tells the common tale of economically vulnerable women who worked in the “entertainment industry” of Kuala Lumpur. Siti Aisyah was employed by the massage parlour in the Flamingo Hotel, a euphemism for brothel if there ever was one in KL, and Doan Thi Huong was employed by an entertainment outlet. Both women left an immigration trail across Asia, from Cambodia to South Korea.
Defunct Facebook accounts of Doan Thi Huong existed under various pseudonyms, with names like Ruby Ruby and Bella Tron Tron Bella; however, solid connections to the purported North Korean handlers are less clear. Police are still unsure if the women had even ever met prior to the assassination.
What’s clear to most Malaysians, and becoming apparent to the global audience that has been following the case, is that these women existed on the margins of society. Grey areas, where they earned cash in hand, before heading off to the next port of call.
Here lies the worry of the defence that their clients will have a fair and open trial. The fact that all of the evidence isn’t shared, makes Gooi Soon Seng, chief lawyer for Siti Aisyah, nervous. As of today, he’s still yet to receive the circuit television (CCTV) footage of the assassination, nor the autopsy report on Kim.
“Of course, this is very frustrating. I have sent so many requests and reminders but not a single reply. It is highly unethical and unfriendly,” he told the AFP.
And while the Deputy public prosecutor, Muhammad Iskandar Ahmad, has called for patience. Ok, within reason.
It’s pertinent that we are aware that Malaysia on the world stage, yet again, and we can’t let lackadaisical due process shoot us in the foot either.
This time round, we can’t pin our collective embarrassment on Raja Bomoh and his coconuts and magic carpet. We’ll only have ourselves to blame.
