Malaysian police on Wednesday named a North Korean diplomat along with a state airline official who are wanted for questioning over the murder of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korea's leader.
Kim Jong Nam, 46, was killed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Feb. 13, while preparing to board a flight to Macau, where he lived in exile with his family under the protection of Beijing.
South Korean and U.S. officials believe the killing of the elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was an assassination carried out by agents of the North.
Kim Jong Nam had spoken out publicly against his family's dynastic control of the isolated, nuclear-armed state.
Giving an update on an investigation that has already angered North Korea, Malaysia's police chief Khalid Abu Bakar said the diplomat wanted for questioning was 44-year-old Hyon Kwang Song, a second secretary at the embassy.
Police also want to interview Kim Uk Il, 37, an employee of the North Korean state-owned airline Air Koryo.
Khalid said both were in Malaysia but could not confirm they were in the embassy.
"They've been called in for assistance. We hope the embassy will cooperate with us and allow us to interview them quickly or else we will compel them to come to us," Khalid told reporters.
"We can't confirm that they are hiding in the embassy," he told Reuters.
So far, police have identified a total of eight North Koreans suspected of being linked to killing.
One, Ri Jong Chol, has been in custody since last week, and another, Ri Ji U, remains at large. Khalid said police "strongly believed" four others were back in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, having fled Malaysia on the day of the attack.
Police have not stated Ri Jong Chol's role in the killing. He lived in Malaysia for three years without working at the company registered on his employment permit or receiving a salary.
Police are also holding two women - one Vietnamese, one Indonesian - who are suspected of carrying out the fatal assault on Kim Jong Nam using a fast-acting poison.
REHEARSED ATTACK
Police chief Khalid said both women wiped a liquid, containing an as yet unidentified toxic substance, on Kim Jong Nam's face.
"Yes, the two female suspects knew that the substance they had was toxic. We don't know what kind of chemical was used," he said, dismissing speculation that the women had thought they were part of a prank.
"They used their bare hands," he said, adding that they were instructed to wash their hands afterwards.
The women had rehearsed the attack at two shopping malls in central Kuala Lumpur before assaulting Kim Jong Nam, he said.
An Indonesian foreign ministry official Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said it was premature to draw conclusions about its citizen's involvement.
"The fact that investigators have asked for an extension to the remand shows that the evidence so far is not enough to bring charges or prosecute," he said in a statement.
DIPLOMATIC SPAT
North Korea's embassy issued a statement on Wednesday calling for the immediate release of its citizen, Ri Jong Chol, and the two women, saying they were innocent. The embassy statement did not address the police request to interview one of its diplomats.
Security was stepped up at the morgue where Kim Jong Nam's body is being held after an attempted break-in earlier this week, Khalid said.
Malaysia has denied North Korea's request for the body to be handed over to its embassy directly, saying it would be released to the next of kin, though none has come forward.
The investigation has strained Malaysia's hitherto friendly relations with North Korea.
Earlier this week Malaysia recalled its ambassador from Pyongyang, and Prime Minister Najib Razak rebuked the North Korea ambassador in Kuala Lumpur for making "diplomatically rude" comments.
Reuters
Wed Feb 22 2017
North Korean suspect Ri Ji U. - Photo by Royal Malaysia Police/Handout via Reuters
[TERKINI] WEF | Pembangunan dunia yang tidak seimbang, Apa Solusi?
Mesyuarat Khas Forum Ekonomi Dunia (WEF) di Arab Saudi merungkai masalah ekonomi dan ketidakseimbangan pembangunan yang sedang melanda dunia. Menteri MITI, Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz dan Menteri Kewangan Arab Saudi, Mohammed Al-Jadaan berada sepentas merungkai masalah dunia yang memberi impak kepada semua negara.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Calon PH, PN bertembung ketika kempen
Dua calon yang bersaing bagi PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu hari ini bertembung buat kali pertama sejak hari penamaan calon semalam.
AWANI Ringkas: 1MDB - Polis Jerman rampas 4 kereta Bugatti Veyron edisi terhad
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Gempa bumi Indonesia, Tasikmalaya paling terjejas
Sekurang-kurangnya empat orang cedera dan 27 keluarga lagi terkesan selepas satu gempa bumi dengan magnitud 6.2 melanda Daerah Garut di Jawa Barat pada pukul 11.29 pagi waktu tempatan, Ahad.
Air penstabil dan pemangkin pembangunan negara - Fadillah Yusof
Air merupakan komponen penting yang bertindak sebagai penstabil dan pemangkin untuk pembangunan negara yang mampan.
Pelaburan RM2.4 bilion dibawa masuk ke Terengganu - MB
Sebanyak RM2.4 bilion nilai pelaburan yang berpotensi sedang dibawa masuk ke Terengganu setakat bulan April ini.
PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu: Kelayakan akademik bukan isu calon PN - Pas
Kempen PN sempena PRK Kuala Kubu Baharu tidak akan terjejas berikutan isu yang mengaitkan kelayakan akademik calonnya, Khairul Azhari Saut.
Peniaga nasi kukus raih jualan RM14,000 sebulan
Inisiatif Pendapatan Rakyat (IPR) mampu merubah graf pendapatan bulanan peserta apabila meningkatkan hasil jualan.
Piala Uber: Malaysia tewas kepada Taiwan
Malaysia memulakan kempen Kumpulan B Piala Uber 2024 mereka dengan langkah kiri apabila tewas 1-4 kepada Taiwan, di sini hari ini.
Imigresen tahan dalang warga Indonesia, jual produk kosmetik tanpa kelulusan KKM
Jabatan Imigresen menahan seorang wanita warga Indonesia berusia 50 tahun disyaki menjadi dalang penjualan produk kosmetik dan kecantikan yang tidak mendapat kelulusan KKM.
Khairuddin menang saman, dapat ganti rugi RM300,000
Ahli politik, Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan hari ini memperoleh ganti rugi RM300,000 oleh Mahkamah Tinggi kerana ditahan menyalahi undang-undang, tujuh tahun lepas.
Belum dapat tentukan bila Indira akan disatukan dengan anak perempuannya - Bukit Aman
Wanita itu berharap dapat disatukan dengan anak perempuannya itu menjelang Deepavali tahun ini.
SPRM tidak pernah dapatkan pengesahan saya, kata Apandi Ali
Mohamed Apandi menjelaskan bahawa untuk melakukan pemintasan perbualan telefon, agensi antirasuah itu mestilah terlebih dahulu mendapatkan kebenaran Peguam Negara atau timbalan pendakwa raya.
Pihak-pihak dalam saman fitnah gagal capai penyelesaian dengan Nurul Izzah
Semasa pendengaran rayuan terakhir, mahkamah rayuan meminta pihak-pihak berkenaan cuba menyelesaikan masalah mereka.
Pekerja Afrika: Sivarraajh gesa menteri fikir implikasi sosial
Umum mengetahui kemasukan warga asing khususnya dari Afrika telah memberi kesan secara langsung dalam peningkatan kadar jenayah komersial dan jenayah berat di Malaysia.
Polis nafi gugur kalimah Allah, Muhammad pada logo PDRM
PDRM telah menetapkan dua garis panduan penggunaan logo pasukan yang berkuat kuasa pada tahun 2014.
RCI Wang Kelian: Henti seketika siasatan atas arahan KPN
Bekas Ketua Polis Perlis, Datuk Zul Aznam Haron berkata, arahan itu diterimanya selepas beliau menghubungi Khalid menerusi panggilan telefon pada 20 Januari 2015.
'Siasatan semula kehilangan Pastor Raymond, Amri selepas ganti IGP' - Tun M
Kerajaan akan membuka semula siasatan berhubung kehilangan Pastor Raymond yang dikaitkan dengan Pasukan Cawangan Khas Polis Diraja Malaysia PDRM seperti didedah Suhakam, Rabu lalu.
Polis di belakang kehilangan paderi Raymond, Amri - SUHAKAM
Kedua-dua Raymond dan Amri Che Amat disyaki oleh pihak SUHAKAM disasarkan kerana terlibat dalam isu menyentuh agama Islam.
1MDB: 'Belum ada petunjuk, biar SPRM jalankan siasatan dulu' - KPN
Penahanan atau siasatan terhadap mana-mana individu atau pihak baharu akan dibuat berdasarkan petunjuk daripada siasatan ketika ini.