North Korean businessman Mun Chol-myong challenges US bid to extradite him from Malaysia

The FBI claims he violated sanctions by supplying luxury goods to North Korea and laundered funds through front companies, some in Singapore

Mun, who has lived in Malaysia for over a decade, denies the claims, saying they are ‘political’

1-MIN READ1-MIN

North Korean businessman Mun Chol-myong and defence lawyer Jagjit Singh are pictured in 2019. Mun is challenging his extradition to the US. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 3:00pm, 18 Sep 2020Updated: 3:09pm, 18 Sep 2020

A North Korean man launched a legal challenge on Friday against a US bid to extradite him from Malaysia over allegations he supplied goods to his country in breach of sanctions.

Mun Chol-myong, who has lived in the Southeast Asian country with his family for a decade, was arrested last year following an extradition request from Washington.

He denies FBI claims that he led a criminal group that violated sanctions by supplying luxury goods to North Korea and laundered funds through front companies.

A Malaysian court in December approved his extradition to the United States, but Mun on Friday appealed against the decision at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur.

His lawyer Gooi Soon Seng argued Mun was innocent and the allegations against him were of a “political character”.

The court will rule on the appeal on October 8.

Mun, in his 50s, is accused of four charges of money-laundering and two of conspiracy to launder money, mainly in relation to his work for a firm in neighbouring Singapore.