Expert exhausted, so trial postponed

SHAH ALAM: The Kim Jong-Nam murder trial was postponed to today after the main witness, chemistry expert Dr Raja Subramaniam, complained of exhaustion.

The hearing was postponed as the judge, along with the prosecution and defence team, was at the Chemistry Department in Petaling Jaya to show the evidence that was sent to Raja for testing, including shreds of a shirt bearing the letters “LOL” that belonged to one of the accused, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong.

Raja appealed to judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin to postpone the hearing after having spent more than two hours in the department.

Earlier, the two women accused of murdering Jong-Nam arrived at the Chemistry Department in Petaling Jaya yesterday as part of their trial.

They had bullet-proof vests on and were escorted by eight police patrol cars.

The heavily armed police entourage entered the department’s compound at about 9am through the back entrance for security reasons.

Members of the local and foreign media had been staking out the premises since early morning. The proceedings at the department was carried out behind closed doors.

It was reported that Jong-Nam was at klia2 on Feb 13 to board a flight to Macau when two women approached and wiped his face with toxic liquid which was later identified as the VX nerve agent.

VX poison and its degradation elements were discovered on the clothing of both murder accused, Siti Aisyah, 25, and Thi Huong, 29, the trial had revealed.

Jong-Nam, who travelled with a passport bearing the name of Kim Chol, died while on the way to the Putrajaya Hospital. He arrived in the country on Feb 6.

The murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the mandatory death sentence.

The trial continues today. – by Vathani Panirchellvum