MH17: Four-nation probe team formed

Malaysian minister Liow demands unrestricted access for international probe team to recover bodies and commence investigations

KIEV: A joint-international Investigation Team has been formed for MH17 comprising officials from the Netherlands, Malaysia, Britain and the United States, Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai said.

However the team has not been given unimpeded access to the crash site, he said demanding immediate access to the crash site for investigation and recovery of the bodies.

“The Ukrainian government has informed the joint probe team that the crash site is under the full control of separatist groups,” Liow said.

He said the Ukrainian government also stated that it has been unable to establish a safe corridor to the crash site for the international team.

“The Ukrainian government has said it cannot guarantee the safety of the international team in and around the crash site,” Liow said adding the situation is also hampered by reports that a number of competing separatist groups control the area in and around the crash site.

“There is no clear leader or chain of command,” Liow also said adding the only international body that has managed to briefly access to the crash site is the OSCE.

Britain’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the United States are also members of the international team.

Liow, who arrived in Kiev at 1.10pm local time, immediate went into a round of meetings with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman who is the chairman of the Ukrainian Special Government Commission on MH17.

Later he met Ukrainian Minister of Infrastructure Maksym Burbak and the Chairman of the Ukrainian State Aviation Administration Denys Antonyuk.

“The Ukrainian government has informed the joint-international Investigation Team that the crash site is under the full control of separatist groups,” Liow said.

“Malaysia is deeply concerned that the international team is effectively being prevented from entering the crash site.

“It is imperative that international investigators and search and recovery personnel are afforded full and unhindered access to this site,” he said adding “Malaysia demands that all human remains are allowed to be recovered, identified and repatriated.”

Regarding reports that separatist groups have custody of the black boxes, he insisted that these crucial pieces of evidence are not tampered with and are handed over to the international team immediately.

“We are very concerned that the crash site has been severely compromised,” he said.