‘OTHER N. KOREAN SUSPECTS

This includes the ‘important person’ in the investigations, says IGP

HALIM SAID

JOHOR BARU news@nst.com.my

THE “important person” and other suspects for connection with in the Kim Jong-nam murder are from North Korea, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said.

“They are from North Korea. We believe they are involved in the case and we are looking for them,” he said after chairing a meeting at Le Grandeur Palm Resort in Senai.

In an exclusive report in the New Straits Times on Saturday, an expert was quoted as saying that a ninth suspect could have played a role in the murder of Jong-nam at klia2 on Feb 13.

Previously, police had announced they were looking for seven North Koreans to assist their probe into the murder of Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

On Feb 19, police revealed that four North Koreans — Ri Ji -hyon, Hong Songhac, Ri Jae-nam and O Jong-gil — had fled the country. Police have secured an Interpol Red Notice for them.

Three others were believed to be holed up at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur. They are Hyon Kwang-song, Hyon Kyang-song and Kim Uk-il.

The police had also arrested a North Korean chemist, Ri Jong-chol, to assist in investigations into the muder, but he was released and deported on March 3.

Khalid also said a North Korea-Malaysia joint venture company, International Golden Services Sdn Bhd, was not involved in the selling of firearms. The company, set up in 2005 as International Global Services Sdn Bhd, was marketing the military communications system called Glocom.

“The company tried to market the Glocom product to Thailand from Pyongyang.

“But, when we found out that the buyers in Thailand did not exist, we intercepted the device, which weighed 250kg, at Port Klang in 2011.

“We had sent it back to Pyongyang later,” he said, adding that in early 2012, the company had wound up, but in mid-2012, it resumed operations under a different name — International Golden Services Sdn Bhd.

“Again, the company tried to market the Glocom product in 2012, 2014 and 2016 during the Defence Services Asia exhibition, but it did not attract any buyers.”

Khalid said the company was set up by several North Koreans on its board of directors.

The company included a Malaysian, who also sat as a director in the company and he had many times tried to shut down operations.

“The Malaysian business partner had wanted the company to be dissolved in 2015 as the company was non-operational, but the North Korean counterparts did not want to sign off on the dissolution of