Kim Jong-nam: Malaysia releases North Korean held over killing

Malaysian police have released the only North Korean detained over the killing of the half brother of North Korea’s leader, as officials condemned the use of a banned nerve agent in the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Ri Jong Chol, who had been detained since February 17th, was handed over to immigration officials for deportation.

Police never said what they thought his role had been in the attack, but national police chief Khalid Abu Bakar confirmed he was released due to a lack of evidence.

Malaysian attorney general Mohamad Apandi Ali said he would be deported because he did not have valid travel documents.

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Two women — one Indonesian, one Vietnamese — have been charged with murdering Mr Kim at an airport terminal on February 13th. They were caught on surveillance video smearing what Malaysian authorities say was VX nerve agent on his face and eyes, though both reportedly say they were duped into thinking they were playing a harmless prank.

Police are searching for seven North Korean suspects, including four believed to have left Malaysia the day Mr Kim, the estranged half brother of Kim Jong Un, was killed.

One of the suspects believed to still be in Malaysia is an official at the North Korean embassy.

‘Greatly concerned’

Malaysia's foreign ministry ramped up the pressure on Pyongyang on Friday, saying it was "greatly concerned" with the use of the toxic chemical and condemning the use of such a chemical weapon under any circumstances.

“Its use at a public place could have endangered the general public,” the ministry said.

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 post-mortem finding that VX nerve agent killed Mr Kim, saying he probably died of a heart attack because he suffered from cardiac 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 injured.

The death has unleashed a diplomatic battle between Malaysia and North Korea. On Thursday, Malaysia announced it was scrapping visa-free entry for North Koreans.

Malaysian officials say the two female suspects smeared VX — a banned chemical weapon — on Mr Kim's face as he waited for a flight at Kuala Lumpur airport. He died within 20 minutes, authorities say. No bystanders reported falling ill.

The postmortem finding that VX killed Mr Kim boosted speculation that North Korea orchestrated the attack. Experts say the oily poison was almost certainly produced in a sophisticated state weapons laboratory, and North Korea is widely believed to possess large quantities of chemical weapons including VX.

North Korea is trying to retrieve the body, but it has not acknowledged the victim is Kim Jong-un’s half brother, as Malaysian government officials have confirmed.

Pyongyang refers to the victim as Kim Chol, the name on the diplomatic passport he was carrying when he died. Malaysian police are doing the same, and are seeking next-of-kin who could provide a DNA sample and make a positive identification, steps they say are needed for authorities to give up the body.

Mr Kim is believed to have had two sons and a daughter with two women living in Beijing and Macau.

AP