Kim Jong-nam death: Malaysia court charges two women with murder

Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, said Kim Uk Il, 37, is wanted – but provided no other details about his alleged involvement.

Only one has been apprehended, a man named Ri Jong Chol, who was released on Friday due to insufficient evidence and set to be deported after a week in custody.

Malaysian police are still looking for seven North Koreans, including an embassy official, to help in investigations.

US officials and South Korean intelligence have said the murder was organised by North Korean agents.

The North Korean was deported on Friday night, a government official confirmed.

The foreign ministry is condemning the attack, saying the use of chemical agents is wrong and that they put people in danger. “Its use at a public place could have endangered the general public“.

A Malaysian judge on Wednesday charged two women with the murder of the North Korean leader’s half-brother, a media report said.

Malaysia has not described Ri’s alleged role in the killing. CCTV footage from the airport terminal showed a woman approaching him from behind and wrapping a cloth around the face of a startled Kim Jong-nam.

The 33-year-old’s latest public appearance comes amid the controversy surrounding his estranged half-brother’s killing at an airport in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

He died from a seizure before he could be taken to hospital on February 13.

“And there is another unanimous request by global chemical experts, that in case it is true that it was used, then the samples should be sent to OPCW’s office”, it went on to say.

In response, Malaysia has cancelled a visa-free travel deal with North Korea – a key conduit to the outside world – and recalled its envoy to Pyongyang.

“His activities is indirectly connected to this issue (Jong-Nam’s murder) and the evidence is not enough to charge him”. Malaysia concluded that Kim had died from exposure to VX, a toxic nerve agent. Police believe they smeared a toxic nerve agent on his face.

Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali said the police handed Ri Jong-chol to the Immigration Department at 9.30am today for deportation as decided by the Attorney-General’s Chambers. Three other suspects – a diplomat, an Air Koryo official and another North Korean – are yet to come forward.

Kim, who had been living in the Chinese territory of Macau under Beijing’s protection, had spoken out publicly against his family’s dynastic control of isolated, nuclear-armed North Korea.