Team awaits setting up of ceasefire zone

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KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Investigation Team on the MH17 crash is waiting for the authorities in Ukraine and the separatist group there to create a ceasefire zone to enable investigation in the MH17 crash site to continue.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the situation there was still insecure and the special investigation team had yet to enter the area.

“We are still unable to determine when the zone can be created and are waiting for the agreement from Ukraine and the separatist group,” he told reporters after the handing over of duty for the post of Director of the Criminal Investigation and Community Safety Department (JPJKK), here.

At the ceremony, JPJKK Director Datuk Ayub Yaakob handed over duty to DCP Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd.

Khalid said the JPJKK had officially been accepted as a participant in the Criminal Case Investigation Board on the MH17 incident, together with the International Police.

“We have also assigned two police officers each in Kiev and Amsterdam to monitor developments there,” he said.

The police were earlier forced to recall officers from the special team in Ukraine due to the security threat as the soldiers were gathering in the area and a war could break out at any time.

Forty-three Malaysian nationals were on board the Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 which crashed in east Ukraine on July 17 when it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew members. — Bernama