WASHINGTON: A North Korean businessman accused by the United States of laundering money to circumvent U.S. and U.N. sanctions intended to curb his country's nuclear weapons program appeared in a U.S. court on Monday after extradition from Malaysia.
The US Justice Department said Mun Chol Myong, who it said was affiliated with North Korea's primary intelligence organization, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, was the first North Korean ever extradited to the United States.
It said Mun appeared in federal court in Washington, where he was indicted in May 2019 on six counts of money laundering, including conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Mun was arrested in Malaysia in 2019 after the United States accused him of laundering funds through front companies and issuing fraudulent documents to support illicit shipments to North Korea. He denied the allegations, saying they were politically motivated.
His lawyer, public defender Michelle Peterson, declined to comment on the indictment, which was unsealed on Monday.
North Korea said on Friday it would sever diplomatic relations with Malaysia after the extradition.
It called it a "nefarious act and unpardonably heavy crime" by Malaysian authorities, who had "offered our citizen as a sacrifice of the U.S. hostile move in defiance of the acknowledged international laws."
North Korea warned that Washington, "the backstage manipulator and main culprit of this incident," would be "made to pay a due price."
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week the Biden administration would complete a review of U.S. policy toward North Korea in the next few weeks.
The court papers indicated U.S. authorities had indicted others in the case, including "Chinese co-conspirator" companies and individuals whose names were redacted.
The indictment said Mun had relocated to Malaysia from Singapore, where he had been employed by a firm called Sinsar Trading, which procured sanctioned luxury goods like liquor and tobacco.
It valued his alleged money-laundering transactions at over $1.5 million.
John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said Mun's actions were aimed at evading both U.S. and U.N. sanctions.
"We will continue to use the long reach of our laws to protect the American people from sanctions evasion and other national security threats," he said in a statement.
Alan Kohler, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, said bringing overseas defendants to justice was one of its biggest challenges, especially in the case of North Korea.
"We hope he will be the first of many," he said.
Reuters
Tue Mar 23 2021
A North Korea flag flutters next to concertina wire at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia March 9, 2017. REUTERS pic
Ahli Parlimen wajib jalani pemeriksaan kesihatan lagi tahun ini
Semua Ahli Parlimen sekali lagi diwajibkan jalani pemeriksaan kesihatan bagi tahun ini dan jika gagal berbuat demikian nama akan dipaparkan dalam laman web Parlimen, kata Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
#SisiTVParlimen
#SisiTVParlimen
La Liga: Kylian Mbappe kini kepunyaan Real Madrid
Pemain berusia 26 tahun itu akan menyarung jersi nombor 9 dan mengakui terpaksa menolak beberapa tawaran daripada beberapa kelab besar.
AWANI Ringkas: Tumpuan sidang Dewan Rakyat hari ini
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Niaga AWANI: [Data & Statistik] Prestasi Bursa Malaysia setakat 17 Julai 2024
Indeks petunjuk pasaran dibuka tinggi naik 1.91 mata kepada 1,631.73 dan bergerak antara paras 1,624.39 dan 1,633.97 sepanjang hari dagangan. Jumlah dagangan menyusut kepada 4.66 bilion unit bernilai RM3.52 bilion daripada 5.36 bilion unit bernilai RM3.95 bilion pada Isnin.
Niaga AWANI: [Data & Statistik] Prestasi ringgit setakat 17 Julai 2024
Ketua Ekonomi Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid berkata tumpuan pasaran telah beralih ke arah pilihan raya presiden AS menjelang November nanti, yang menunjukkan kebimbangan terhadap Donald Trump berikutan dasar ekonominya yang akan memihak kepada pemotongan cukai dan pengenaan tarif terhadap China.
Olimpik 2024: Mampukah Pearly-Thinaah cipta 'kemanisan' di Paris?
Penganalisis berpendapat sukar buat Pearly-Thinaah menjayakan misi emas pertama Malaysia pada penampilan sulung mereka.
Niaga AWANI: [Hutang kerajaan persekutuan meningkat] Cabaran antara jimat atau langkah rangsangan
Perdana Menteri pada Selasa umum hutang kerajaan persekutuan meningkat kepada RM1.22 trilion berbanding RM1.17 trilion. Apakah cabaran mengurus hutang ini untuk memasihkan ia kekal di bawah had statutori? Adakah dasar fikal kita masih utuh?
Pemuda berat 183kg kini tinggal 99kg
Dia melalui episod kehidupan yang panjang untuk mendapatkan berat terkini.
Minat risiko ketara, ringgit dibuka mengukuh berbanding dolar AS
Ringgit mengukuh sedikit berbanding dolar AS pada sesi awal urus niaga Rabu ketika minat terhadap risiko kembali ketara.
Jiwa SME: Sabun Pro One Active sasar perluas pasaran global
Sabun Pro One Active tidak menggunakan sebarang lemak haiwan dalam pembuatannya selain ia mesra pengguna dan alam lantaran ia bercirikan biochemical.
FBI kenal pasti suspek penembak Trump sebagai Thomas Matthew Crooks
FBI berkata mereka masih berusaha untuk mencari motif di sebalik cubaan pembunuhan itu.
FBI anggap tembakan di perhimpunan Trump sebagai 'cubaan bunuh'
Biro Penyiasatan Persekutuan (FBI) masih belum mengenal pasti suspek penembak dalam serangan terhadap bekas Presiden Donald Trump di Pennsylvania, Amerika Syarikat (AS).
Peluru mengenai telinga kanan saya - Trump
Kejadian tembakan itu sedang disiasat dan Perkhidmatan Rahsia telah memaklumkan secara rasmi kepada Biro Penyiasatan Persekutuan (FBI).
Faizal Ismail guna platform media sosial beri motivasi tunai haji
Walaupun menyedari dirinya banyak kekurangan, FBI terus berdakwah ke arah kebaikan, berbekalkan sedikit ilmu.
FBI tawar ganjaran AS$10 juta tangkap pembangun perisian tebusan Lockbit
PERISIAN tebusan Lockbit menyerang dunia siber sejak 2019 tetapi mula mendapat perhatian orang ramai selepas syarikat terkemuka seperti Thales, Royal Mail, TSMC dan Continental menjadi mangsa.
Hakim tangguh perbicaraan dokumen sulit Trump
Perbicaraan berkemungkinan tidak akan bermula sebelum pilihan raya presiden AS pada November.
Pas gesa kerajaan tidak ikut telunjuk luar isu keselamatan, kedaulatan negara
Tuan Ibrahim berkata, perkara ini mesti diuruskan dengan kewibawaan kerajaan Malaysia sendiri tanpa didorong oleh campur tangan asing.
KDN dapatkan gambaran tepat 3 pemimpin NGO Islam dalam senarai FBI
KDN sedang mendapatkan gambaran tepat dan akan menyemak fakta berkaitan tiga pemimpin badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) Islam negara ini yang berada dalam senarai FBI.
Bekas anggota CIA dipenjara, bocor rahsia ke WikiLeaks
Joshua Schulte didapati bersalah atas tuduhan pengintipan dan lain-lain kesalahan pada 2022, dalam tragedi yang digelar 'Pearl Harbor digital.'
FBI dakwa serangan siber ke atas Malaysia meningkat, bermotifkan wang dan politik - Laporan
FBI mendakwa, serangan siber itu bukan hanya keuntungan, tetapi juga oleh penyangak yang cuba mendapatkan kelebihan ekonomi dan strategik.