Malaysia deports N. Korean held in death of Kim, issues arrest warrant for another
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysian authorities on Friday deported the only North Korean detained in the killing of the half brother of North Korea’s leader, and issued an arrest warrant for another whose whereabouts are unknown.
Ri Jong Chol, who had been held since Feb. 17, was released because of a lack of evidence to charge him and was handed over to immigration officials for deportation because he didn’t have valid travel documents, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
Immigration Director-General Mustafar Ali confirmed that Ri had flown out of the country, escorted by two North Korean Embassy officials.
Police never said what they believed Ri’s role was in the attack on Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. Malaysia is looking for seven other North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on Feb. 13, the day Kim died. Two women — one Indonesian, one Vietnamese — remain in custody, accused of smearing Kim’s face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.
Police have said three other North Korean suspects, including a North Korean Embassy official and an Air Koryo employee, are believed to be in the country.
National police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said an arrest warrant was issued Friday for the Air Koryo employee, Kim Uk Il. Police say he arrived in Malaysia on Jan. 29, about two weeks before Kim, the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, was killed.
Malaysian authorities have not said why they want to arrest Kim Uk Il.
Kim Jong Nam’s death has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. On Thursday, Malaysia announced it is scrapping visa-free entry for North Koreans.
Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry ramped up the pressure on Friday, saying it was “greatly concerned” about the use of the nerve agent.
“Its use at a public place could have endangered the general public,” the ministry saidt.
Malaysia has not directly accused North Korea of being behind the killing, but the statement came hours after a North Korean envoy rejected a Malaysian autopsy finding that VX killed Kim, saying the man probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Ri Tong Il, a former North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations, also said that if VX had been used, others would have been killed or sickened.
The women charged with murdering Kim at an airport terminal were caught on grainy surveillance video smearing what Malaysian authorities say was VX on his face and eyes, though both reportedly say they were duped into thinking they were playing a prank.
Kim died within 20 minutes, authorities say. No bystanders reported falling ill.
Malaysia’s finding that VX killed Kim boosted speculation that North Korea orchestrated the attack. Experts say the poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons lab, and North Korea is believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons including VX.