Malaysia said Saturday it would issue an arrest warrant for a North Korean diplomat wanted for questioning in the murder of Kim Jong Nam if he doesn’t voluntarily cooperate with the police.
Reasonable time will be given for 44-year-old Hyon Kwang Song, a second secretary at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur to come forward before police take further action, said Abdul Samah Mat, the police chief for Selangor state.
It was unclear if the embassy official can be detained since police have said he has diplomatic immunity.
Eight North Koreans
Eight North Koreans are wanted in connection with the case, including the diplomat. One has been detained by the Malaysian police, four are believed to have fled to North Korea, while two are still in Malaysia.
Police are trying to locate the eight suspect, another North Korean, Ri Ji U, whose whereabouts are unknown, Samah said Saturday.
Kim Jong Nam was murdered February 13 at the Kuala Lumpur international airport with VX nerve agent, a chemical classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction, Malaysian police said on Friday.
One of attackers is ill
Two women, one Indonesian and one Vietnamese, have also been detained. Police said Friday that one of them had suffered from the effects of VX and had been vomiting.
Indonesian embassy officials met with their national Siti Aishah on Saturday and said she had been paid 400 Malaysian ringgit ($90.15) to participate in what she believed was a prank. No charges have been brought against her yet.
Malaysian police have said the two women had rehearsed the attack before carrying it out and had been instructed to wash their hands afterward.
Apartment raid
Samah also confirmed that authorities raided an apartment in an upscale Kuala Lumpur suburb earlier this week in connection with the killing.
Investigators were looking for any traces of chemicals in the apartment, he added. Authorities are also sweeping locations that the suspects may have visited for chemicals, Samah said
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