GEORGE TOWN, Mar 7 – Police have not dismissed the possibility that the suspects in the murder of North Korean exile Kim Jong-nam are still in the country’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar. He said they were waiting for these suspects to surrender and warrants of arrest would be issued against them if they failed to do so.
“We believe they are at the embassy compound. We will compel them to come out through Section 111 of the Penal Code, failing which we will issue arrest warrants to the embassy and we will wait even if it takes five years,” he told reporters after opening the International Drug Enforcement Conference (IDEC) – Far East Regional Working Group here today, adding that the suspects were all wanted to assist in the investigation into the murder.
Khalid added that the police have asked the relevant North Korean authorities to surrender all the suspects. He also said that the police were waiting for further instructions from the Home Ministry following North Korea’s action of preventing Malaysians from leaving the country.
Khalid said that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had issued a statement on this matter, adding that further action would depend on the Home Ministry and Foreign Ministry Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, was killed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 departure hall on Feb 13, with what Malaysian police said was the banned VX nerve agent.
On March 1, Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong and Indonesian Siti Aisyah were charged with the murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code that carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction. Neither recorded a plea, and April 13 has been fixed for mention.
