None of Jong-nam’s next-of-kin has come forward

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 next-of-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-ofkin 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 Jong-nam’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