Kim murder suspect ‘paid £70 for TV prank’ attack

ONE of two women suspected of using a deadly nerve agent to assassinate the half-brother of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un has claimed she was paid the equivalent of £70 for what she thought was a harmless prank.

The murder of Kim Jong-nam two weeks ago at Kuala Lumpur airport has heightened tensions between Malaysia and North Korea and triggered a sweep of the airport terminal for toxins.

Indonesian citizen Siti Aisyah, 25, claims she was told she was playing a prank for a reality television show, according to an Indonesian diplomat. The other suspect, Doan Thi Huong, from Vietnam, also thought she was making a comedy video, her country’s foreign ministry said.

Four North Korean men are said to have provided the women with poison to carry out the attack. The men fled but the women were arrested.

Malaysia has adopted a harsher tone towards North Korea since the disclosure that VX, one of the world’s deadliest nerve agents, was used in the assassination. Police said yesterday that an arrest warrant will be issued for Hyon Kwang Song, a North Korean diplomat the Malaysians want to question.

Abdul Samah Mat, the police chief leading the investigation, said Mr Hyon would be given “reasonable” time to come forward. “And if he failed to turn up, then we will go to the next step by getting a warrant of arrest,” he said.

Chemical and biological teams were to sweep the airport terminal this morning. Although VX is not radioactive, police said a radiological team and representatives from the atomic energy board would be present.