'Email on Rizalman left unread for weeks'
Published: Jul 31, 2014 5:30 AM | Updated: Jul 31, 2014 8:12 AM
The New Zealand Foreign Minister’s office had received an email about former Malaysian military attaché Muhammad Rizalman Ismail invoking diplomatic immunity but left it unread for weeks, according to a New Zealand Herald report.
The New Zealand Foreign Minister’s office had received an email about former Malaysian military attaché Muhammad Rizalman Ismail invoking diplomatic immunity but left it unread for weeks, according to a New Zealand Herald report.
The report today quoted a New Zealand opposition party spokesperson as saying that the email was sent on May 22, which was the day Rizalman departed for Malaysia and Foreign Minister Murray McCully was travelling to the UN Headquarters in New York.
“He was travelling into New York, and New York has pretty good Internet access. It defies belief that that email wasn’t opened when it was likely to have ‘Malaysian diplomat’ on top of it.
“It blows holes in Mr (Murray) McCully’s statement, firstly that he didn't know (about Rizalman returning to Malaysia) until June 29, and secondly, that all the fault lies with (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Mfat), and not in his own office,” Labour Party foreign affairs spokesperson David Shearer was quoted as saying.
The report added that New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman had told the parliament that the email was not found until McCully’s office reviewed its correspondence, but he could not say when it was actually read.
Rizalman was charged with burglary and assault with intent to rape New Zealander Tania Billingsley in a May 9 incident, but he returned to Malaysia after Mfat wrongly gave Malaysian authorities the impressions that the New Zealand government has no objections to it.
He is expected to be sent back to New Zealand to stand trial after undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
According to the NZ Herald report, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Rizalman’s extradition is a legal process that would take months, instead of weeks or years.
The report today quoted a New Zealand opposition party spokesperson as saying that the email was sent on May 22, which was the day Rizalman departed for Malaysia and Foreign Minister Murray McCully was travelling to the UN Headquarters in New York.
“He was travelling into New York, and New York has pretty good Internet access. It defies belief that that email wasn’t opened when it was likely to have ‘Malaysian diplomat’ on top of it.
“It blows holes in Mr (Murray) McCully’s statement, firstly that he didn't know (about Rizalman returning to Malaysia) until June 29, and secondly, that all the fault lies with (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Mfat), and not in his own office,” Labour Party foreign affairs spokesperson David Shearer was quoted as saying.
The report added that New Zealand Defence Minister Jonathan Coleman had told the parliament that the email was not found until McCully’s office reviewed its correspondence, but he could not say when it was actually read.
Rizalman was charged with burglary and assault with intent to rape New Zealander Tania Billingsley in a May 9 incident, but he returned to Malaysia after Mfat wrongly gave Malaysian authorities the impressions that the New Zealand government has no objections to it.
He is expected to be sent back to New Zealand to stand trial after undergoing psychiatric evaluation.
According to the NZ Herald report, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Rizalman’s extradition is a legal process that would take months, instead of weeks or years.
View Comments0