Solicitors Shafee & Co said the term “fugitive” implies an evasion of the law, which was not the case for Wong, the founder of Asia Media.
They said Wong was not wanted by Malaysian authorities for any substantive offence but for the alleged failure to provide a statement or assist with Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) investigations.
“Wong has consistently offered to provide a statement and/or assist with investigations remotely, which has been refused by the SC to date,” the lawyers said in a statement.
“Such refusal by the SC raises significant concerns by Wong as to the motives behind the requirement of physical attendance on a matter that can be dealt with just as effectively by way of remote communication or video link.”
The solicitors said the SC obtained an Interpol red notice against Wong, but that it was successfully challenged and deleted by Interpol’s Commission for the Control of Interpol’s Files (CCF) due to non-compliance with Interpol’s criteria.
They said a second red notice, requested on Oct 5, 2021 on similar grounds, was also successfully challenged and removed by the CCF.
“The actions taken by the Malaysian authorities, particularly the repeated requests for red notices, indicate a misunderstanding or misapplication of international legal standards,” the solicitors said.
“Wong has consistently expressed his willingness to cooperate with investigations and has even offered to be questioned remotely via video or telephone.”
The firm’s statement was issued in the wake of media reports about the Federal Court’s dismissal of Wong’s application to participate in court proceedings remotely and subsequent allegations of him being a fugitive.
Previously, the High Court ruled that the administration of justice would be “brought into disrepute” if Wong were allowed to attend and participate in proceedings remotely since he was “a fugitive”.
Shafee & Co also pointed out that Wong had not been charged in any criminal court, making it inaccurate to label him a “fugitive”.
The lawyers said that their client remained committed to addressing the allegations through legal channels and sought fair consideration of his case without prejudice.