Friday March 16, 2012
Alleged Iranian bomber explodes during hearing
By M. MAGESWARI and QISHIN TARIQ
newsdesk@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: An Iranian implicated in three bomb blasts that rocked Bangkok in February blew his top in a Sessions Court here.
Exploding in his native language, Sedaghatzadeh Masoud asked: “Why am I here? I have nothing to do with this case.”
A translator conveyed this query to Sessions Court judge S.M. Komathy Suppiah.
Masoud's mother shouted at press photographers as she walked out of the court, which heard an application by the public prosecutor yesterday to extradite the Iranian.
Malaysian police had arrested Masoud at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang on Feb 15, a day after the explosions rocked the Thai capital.
Masoud, 31, was named the sole respondent in the application by the public prosecutor.
It stated that a warrant of arrest was issued against Masoud by the South Bangkok criminal court on Feb 14, which is still in effect.
The Iranian is to face a charge of taking part in the making and possession of an explosive device. He is to face a second charge of causing an explosion to cause injury to another person or damage property.
The Feb 14 blasts left five bystanders and an alleged Iranian bomber injured.
DPP Kamal Baharin Omar, who heads the extradition unit, told the judge that the Attorney-General's Chambers needed time to furnish more evidence over the application to extradite Masoud to Thailand.
“We need more particulars, such as photographs and CCTV footage,” he said, adding that an application for extension of time was allowed under the extradition treaty.
Komathy allowed time and set April 16 for mention.
In an affidavit to support the application, Senior Federal Counsel Swandra Kim Chu Ramachandran said she received an official request from the Thai government on Feb 21 to extradite the Iranian.
Swandra said the request was made under an extradition treaty signed between Britain and Siam (the former name of Thailand) on March 4, 1911, which is still enforceable here.
In an affidavit by Thai official Deputy Superintendent (Investigation) Kittiphat Thiangnoi, he stated that he was an inquiry officer in charge of a case involving a blast in front of the Kasem Pittaya School in Bangkok on Feb 14.
Thiangnoi said he was informed that there were two earlier explosions in the city.
Masoud's lawyer Mohd Nashir Hussin said a translator had been employed to assist in the court proceedings as his client could not speak English and his parents were present.
Outside the courtroom, Mohd Nashir said he would wait for another affidavit to be filed by the A-G Chambers and would respond to it.
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