No firm arrangements or dates have been set to send former military attaché Muhammad Rizalman Ismail to New Zealand to stand trial, according to reports in the country’s media.

 

The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) also did not confirm whether it had sent a formal request for Rizalman’s extradition.

 

“The matter of Muhammad Rizalman bin Ismail's return is still subject to the completion of legal arrangements, and MFAT is not in a position to comment further today,” New Zealand’s APNZ newswire service quoted an MFAT spokesperson as saying.

 

The comments are largely similar to what the ministry had said last week.

 

Early last week, a Wisma Putra spokesperson had told Malaysiakini that Malaysia is ready to send Rizalman to New Zealand, and is only waiting for a formal request from its New Zealand counterparts to proceed.

 

This followed the completion of Rizalman’s psychiatric evaluation .

 

At the time, MFAT had said that the extradition is still subject to legal arrangements.

 

Rizalman was previously posted at the Malaysian High Commission in Wellington, but allegedly committed burglary and assault with intent of rape against 22-year old Tania Billingsley on May 9.

 

Upon being charged however, Rizalman invoked diplomatic immunity and a miscommunication by MFAT reportedly led their Wisma Putra to the mistaken impression that it has no objections to Rizalman returning to Malaysia.

 

He was flown back to Malaysia on May 22.

 

Billingsley then waived her court protection against naming her as an alleged rape victim, and publically demanded New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully to apologise for the mistake.