NKorean released in Malaysia arrives in Beijing

published: 2017-03-08 23:43:44 (3 Mar 2017) A North Korean man who was a suspect in connection with the killing of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half brother of North Korea’s ruler, arrived in Beijing in the early hours of Saturday. Ri Jong Chol, who had been held since February 17, was released from Malaysian custody on Friday due to lack of evidence to charge him. Immigration Director-General Mustafar Ali confirmed that Ri had flown out of the country, escorted by two North Korean Embassy officials, and that “he is blacklisted from entering Malaysia.” Police never said what they believed Ri’s role was in the attack on Kim Jong Nam at Kuala Lumpur’s airport. Malaysia is looking for seven other North Korean suspects, four of whom are believed to have left the country on February 13, the day Kim died.

Two other people remain in custody, both women – one Indonesian, one Vietnamese – accused of smearing Kim’s face with VX, a banned nerve agent considered a weapon of mass destruction.