‘Case not prejudiced despite absence of men at large’

SHAH ALAM: The absence of four men at large and implicated in the murder of North Korean Kim Chol did not prejudice the case against the two accused, the High Court was told.

Hong Song Sac (Mr Chang), 34, Ri Ji-hyon (Mr Y), 33, Ri Jae-nam (Hanamori), 57, and O Jong-dil (James), 55, fled Malaysia even before the trial began.

During cross-examination, Asst Supt Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Aziz told defence lawyer Datuk Naran Singh that despite their absence, the case was not affected.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 26, and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 29, are jointly charged along with the four men with killing 45-year-old Kim Chol at KLIA 2 on Feb 13 last year.

Kim Chol is the alias used by Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jongun. Naran: As the investigating officer, how do you plan to bring these four men back to Malaysia?

ASP Wan Azirul: By waiting for Interpol to track down and capture them.

Naran: Do you agree that their absence has brought prejudice to the two accused?

ASP Wan Azirul: I disagree because the two accused committed the murder.

Naran suggested that ASP Wan Azirul had received orders not to pursue the four men.

“That is not true,” ASP Wan Azirul said.

Naran also brought up another North Korean implicated in the case, Ri Jong-chol, whose house was used as a clandestine lab to produce VX nerve agent.

Naran: Why was he (Jong-chol) released and allowed to leave the country?

ASP Wan Azirul: It was under the orders of the prosecution.

The hearing before Justice Azmi Ariffin continues on April 2.