Malaysia questions US charges
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia yesterday called on the United States to produce evidence on media allegations that a Malaysian bank is channeling weapons payments to the DPRK.
ROK reports have said that the DPRK sought payment through an unnamed Malaysian bank for a suspected shipment of weapons bound for Myanmar, which was being tracked by the US Navy.
Philip Goldberg, the US State Department's envoy on coordinating implementation of sanctions against the DPRK over its May nuclear test, is in Kuala Lumpur for talks with banking and government officials.
Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said the government "does not condone" money laundering and was willing to cooperate to prevent illegal payments.
"If America has any information that is available to them, then I think they should give it to us so we can act upon it," he told a news conference when asked about the allegations on DPRK payments.
"We are not going to act on every accusation that is being leveled at us because that is virtually impossible. If they have evidence we will be most willing to work together to solve the problem."
Goldberg, who met with Malaysian central bank officials earlier yesterday, was due to hold a press conference later.
The ROK's Yonhap news agency reported on the weekend that his visit would focus on ways to block payment for the suspected weapons cargo on board the DPRK freighter.
Quoting unidentified sources, it said that the DPRK had received an initial payment for the shipment but that the majority owed was still with the Malaysian bank.
The Kang Nam 1 freighter, which left the DPRK on June 17, was expected to return home later yesterday after aborting its voyage, the ROK's defense ministry said.
AFP
(China Daily 07/07/2009 page12)
