Malaysian lawyer: 'I have strong belief that Doan Thi Huong is innocent'

Lawyer Shanmugam said that the Kim Chol murder case in Malaysia has many twists and turns, suspecting that the victim did not die from poison... and 'strongly believes that Huong is innocent'.

On the afternoon of March 5, Mr. Shanmugam (the lawyer defending Doan Thi Huong) said that, as a criminal lawyer practicing in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), he agreed to defend Huong because the girl was in a situation where she had no one to support her.

"I also found the case to have many twists and turns. As soon as I received the case, I had strong faith that Huong was innocent," said Mr. Shanmugam.

The signs that Mr. Shanmugam considered most suspicious were that if Huong had committed the crime, she would have fled "and could not have been stupid enough to wear the same shirt she wore when she committed the crime, return to the airport to be arrested".

He plans to question Malaysian prosecutors about the VX nerve agent that is believed to have killed the North Korean citizen whose passport name is Kim Chol. If Huong had used this poison, she and those around her would have been affected.

On the other hand, Mr. Shanmugam will ask the North Korean Consulate General to provide Kim Chol's medical records - as this side said the victim "showed signs of heart disease" - to refute the accusation against Huong in court.

Lawyer Shanmugam at Tan Son Nhat airport this afternoon. Photo VNE.

To understand Huong’s situation, Mr. Shanmugam visited her family in Nam Dinh. According to him, this contact was to have a basis to present to the court about Huong’s personal life. As for Huong’s father, he also believed that his daughter was innocent, and entrusted this belief to the defense lawyer.

According to the lawyer's request, Huong's family needs to file an official request for Mr. Shanmugam to act as her guardian in court. "Judges in Malaysia are very fair. Other judicial agencies also create all conditions for lawyers to practice, without any obstacles," he said.

In previous meetings with Mr. Shanmugam, Huong repeatedly asserted her innocence, thinking it was a prank - just as she claimed in court. Tomorrow, after returning to Vietnam, lawyer Shanmugam will ask for permission to meet Huong.

In addition to telling Huong how he visited her home and conveying her parents' wishes, the lawyer will learn more about the case and the allegations that the prosecutor and police have made against his client.

Before leaving for the airport to return home this afternoon, Mr. Shanmugam worked with lawyer Ha Hai (Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association), expressing his wish that Mr. Hai, as a colleague, would defend Doan Thi Huong.

Mr. Shanmugam said that after the hearing, the Vietnamese Consulate General told him that "the person who interpreted Huong's testimony in court was wrong", which was disadvantageous to the girl. Therefore, in the next development, he will ask for permission for lawyer Ha Hai to be his associate in court - to be able to detect and immediately refute any wrong interpretation.

Regarding this issue, lawyer Ha Hai said that he will support Mr. Shanmugam in all legal matters. If the court allows, he will visit Huong with lawyer Shanmugam to learn more about the case.

Lawyer Shanmugam has repeatedly defended the rights of Vietnamese fishermen who were tried in local courts before.

Doan Thi Huong, one defendant and four others (still at large) were accused of plotting to murder a North Korean citizen whose passport name is Kim Chol at 9am on February 13. The incident occurred at the departure hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport KILA2, Sepang, Sepang District, Selangor Darul Ehsan State.

Malaysian officials believe the victim in the case was Kim Jong-nam, the elder brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. However, this view has been rejected by Pyongyang.

Doan Thi Huong was indicted by the Sepang District Court in Malaysia on March 1 for murdering a North Korean citizen whose passport name is Kim Chol. Huong faces the death penalty if convicted. The case has been transferred to the Shah Alam High Court, scheduled for April 13. Since her arrest, Huong has been claiming innocence.

Recently, the Vietnam Bar Federation sent a document to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting to participate in providing legal assistance to Huong. Malaysia and Vietnam have not signed a mutual legal assistance treaty and Vietnamese lawyers cannot participate in defending Huong.

"The best way is to use diplomatic channels for Vietnamese lawyers to provide legal support to Doan Thi Huong," said Do Ngoc Thinh, Chairman of the Vietnam Bar Federation.

According to VnExpress