Hindustan Times (Amritsar)

Murder suspects visit KL airport

- Agence FrancePres­se letters@hindustant­imes.com

SEPANG: Two women on trial for murdering the North Korean leader’s half-brother visited the Malaysian airport where he was poisoned under heavy police guard on Tuesday, with the exhausted suspects pushed around in wheelchair­s and one bursting into tears.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, wearing bulletproo­f vests and in handcuffs, were brought to Ku ala Lump ur Internatio­nal Airport as part of court proceeding­s along with the judge, defence lawyers and prosecutor­s.

About 200 police officers, many armed and wearing masks, were deployed at the budget terminal. Kim Jong Nam was waiting there to board a flight in February when he was poisoned with nerve agent in a brazen assassinat­ion that shocked the world.

The visit, to give those involved in the case a better understand­ing of events on the day, took on an air of chaos as a huge pack of journalist­s pursued the women around the terminal and armed police tried to stop them getting too close.

The tour included stops at the departure hall where Kim was attacked, a clinic where he was taken afterwards and toilets visited by the suspects following the assault.

The women are accused of killing Kim on February 13 by rubbing the nerve agent VX on his face. The pair, who were arrested a few days after the assassinat­ion and face death by hanging if convicted, have pleaded not guilty to murdering the estranged halfbrothe­r of Kim Jong-Un.

They say they were duped into believing they were taking part in a prank for a reality TV show.

Four other suspects still at large are accused in the charge sheet of committing the murder along with the women.

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