Second Secretary at embassy one of the wanted suspects — IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: One of the two suspects wanted by the police for investigation into the death of the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last Monday has been identified as the Second Secretary at the North Korean Embassy in Malaysia.

The person is identified as Hyon Kwang- song, 44, said InspectorGeneral of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

He said the other suspect is an employee of North Korean airline Koryo Air identified as Kim Ukil, 37.

He said both the suspects are believed to be still in the country.

“I have requested the two suspects to come forward to assist in the investigation, failing which police will issue a warrant for their arrest,” he told a media conference at Bukit Aman yesterday.

On the third suspect, identified at Ri Ji-u, 30, also known as James, Khalid said the police had yet to ascertain his profession.

“I believe all the three suspects are still in the country and we are tracking them down,” he added.

On the four North Korean suspects who f led the country on the day Kim Jong- nam was attacked, he said police could not ascertain if they were the mastermind, but believed they were actively involved in the murder case.

“I received information that they have returned to Pyongyang.

“As such, the police will request the cooperation of the North Korean authorities to hand over the four suspects to us for investigation,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: Neither family member nor next- of-kin of murdered Kim Jong-nam, the elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has come to give DNA sample or identify the body, says InspectorGeneral of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

He said local and foreign media reports which claimed Jong-nam’s son, Kim Han- sol had provided blood samples to identify the body at the National Institute of Forensic Medicine ( IPFN), Kuala Lumpur Hospital ( KLH) recently, was merely a rumour.

“Hence, do not believe rumours spread on the social media, (rather) let us investigate the case.

“Until now, none of Jong-nam’s family members has showed up at IPFN to provide DNA samples and identify the body,” he told a press conference at the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman here yesterday.

Khalid said the police had given a two-week time frame to Jong-nam’s family to identify the body.

“I am requesting any nextof-kin of Jong-nam to appear at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary to provide DNA samples and identify the body,” he said, assuring police protection if Jong-nam’s next- of-kin arrived in Malaysia for that purpose.

On the recent presence of the Bukit Aman Special Task Force On Organised Crime ( Stafoc) at IPFN, he said the team was sent there to ramp up security as police had received reports of trespassing into the KLH mortuary area.

“We received a police report (on the trespassing) so we sent in Stafoc and not for any other reason (as alleged by the media that the police escorted Jongnam’s son to give DNA samples and identify the body),” added Khalid.

On Feb 13, Jong-nam was at the klia2 at 8am to catch a flight to Macau when he was attacked by two women, one of whom covered his face with what was believed to be a poison-laced cloth.

Jong-nam, who carried a passport bearing the name Kim Chol, reportedly died on the way to the Putrajaya Hospital. — Bernama