CCTV footage shows 4 men suspected in Kim murder
SHAH ALAM: Prosecutors showed a Malaysian court airport security videos yesterday detailing the movements of four men suspected along with two women on trial of having the intent to kill the estranged brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Police chief investigating officer Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Aziz told the court that security footage from Kuala Lumpur International Airport showed the four men before and after the attack on Kim Jongnam on Feb 13.
Vietnamese suspect Doan Thi Huong and Indonesian defendant Siti Aisyah are the only two people in custody in the case. The two women pleaded not guilty to murder when their trial began earlier this month.
Mr Wan Azirul testified earlier that the four male suspects at large were known only by pseudonyms. Prosecutors have said outside court they are believed to be North Koreans.
“My investigation showed that Hanamori played the role as the mastermind of this incident,” Mr Wan Azirul testified, referring to one of the four suspects.
The police official said the man was the first to arrive at the airport and met separately with each of the other three men before the attack.
After the two women rubbed Kim’s face with a liquid later identified as VX nerve agent, Hanamori and two other suspects known as Mr Chang and Mr Y took the same vehicle from the budget terminal to the main airport terminal, Mr Wan Azirul said. Security video footage from the departure hall of the main terminal showed the three men had changed their clothes.
Another suspect known as James was seen heading to the Sama-Sama Hotel, next to the airport. The police official said security videos showed the man entering the hotel room before checking out. He was later seen at the departure hall of the main airport terminal, where the other three men were.
Mr Wan Azirul testified earlier Mr Y and Mr Chang were believed to have put liquid on the women’s hands before they smeared it on Kim’s face. Defence attorneys claim the women thought they were playing a prank for a TV show but prosecutors argue they knew they were handling poison.