18 February 2017
Malaysian police today said they had arrested a North Korean man in connection with the murder of the estranged half brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as a diplomatic spat over his body escalated.
Kim Jong Nam died this week after being assaulted at KL International Airport budget terminal (klia2) with what was thought to be a fast-acting poison.
South Korean and US officials have said he was assassinated by North Korean agents.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said the man was detained at 9.50pm yesterday.
In a statement today, he said an identity card (i-KAD) in the man’s possession identified him as Ri Jong Chol, with 6 May 1970 and DPRK cited as his date and place of birth.
“He is suspected to be involved in the death of a North Korean male,” read the statement.
Kim Jong Nam, the eldest son of the late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, had spoken out publicly against his family’s dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed North Korea.Two female suspects, one an Indonesian and the other carrying Vietnamese travel documents, have already been arrested. A Malaysian man has also been detained. At least three more suspects are at large, government sources have said.
South Korea’s intelligence agency told lawmakers in Seoul that Kim had been living with his second wife in the Chinese territory of Macau, under China’s protection.
He had been at klia2 to catch a flight to Macau when he was killed. An autopsy is being performed at a hospital in the capital city.
Selangor state police chief Abdul Samah said the autopsy report was not complete yet. He dismissed media reports that a second autopsy would have to conducted.
North Korea said in the early hours today that it would categorically reject Malaysia’s autopsy report on the death of Kim Jong Nam, and accused Malaysia of “colluding with outside forces”, in a veiled reference to rival nation South Korea.
Malaysia hit back by saying the country’s rules must be followed. The foreign ministry has yet to make any comment.
The case threatens to weaken North Korea’s ties with Malaysia, one of the few countries that has maintained good diplomatic relations with Pyongyang.
Kim Jong Nam was assaulted at klia2 on Monday with what is believed to be fast acting poison before he could board a flight to Macau. He sought help but died on the way to the hospital.
North Korea demanded last night that Kim Jong Nam’s body be released immediately. It had earlier tried to persuade Malaysian authorities not to carry out an autopsy.
“The Malaysian side forced the post-mortem without our permission and witnessing,” the North Korean ambassador Kang Chol told reporters outside the hospital where the body of Kim Jong Nam is being kept.
“We will categorically reject the result of the post mortem.”
Original Source: therakyatpost.com
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