N. Korean Suspects in Kim Jong-nam Murder Likely Misidentified: Siti Aisyah's Lawyer
Jakarta. The lawyer representing Siti Aisyah, an Indonesian woman accused of murdering the half-brother of North Korea's leader, said a cross examination will be necessary to determine the accuracy of evidence presented in the Malaysian High Court on Monday (06/11), citing a possibility that the North Korean suspects had been wrongly identified.
"I personally feel that they are confusing O Jong-gil with Ri Ji-u. […] The first and second accused gave these four identities to [the investigation officers], but they never said who identified who," Siti's lawyer Gooi Soon Seng said in a video seen by the Jakarta Globe.
Gooi was referring to another North Korean, Ri Ji-u, also known as James, whose photo was found on Siti's phone. However, Malaysian police said there was no record of this person entering or leaving the country.
He also emphasized that he will need the travel particulars of the five North Koreans during his cross-examination to determine the accuracy of the information related to the newly identified suspects.
Assistant Supt. Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Aziz, a senior investigating officer at the Sepang district police headquarters, on Monday revealed the identities of the four male suspects in the murder of Kim Jong-nam. They were identified as Ri Ji-hyon, Hong Song-hac, Ri Jae-nam and O Jong-gil.
Wan Azirul previously only identified the four suspects as Mr. Y, Mr. Chang, Hanamori and James.
The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) quoted Wan Azirul as saying that the four suspects left the country on Feb. 13, the same day Kim Jong-nam was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2.
He said Ri Jae-nam, Ri Ji-hyon and Hong Song-hac boarded a plane bound for Jakarta, but he was unable to confirm the destination of the fourth suspect, O Jong-gil, who reportedly boarded a different flight.
Monday's trial session also revealed that a CCTV recording shows that a North Korean Embassy representative and a manager at Air Koryo, the country's national flag carrier, met with three of the suspects.
The Indonesian government is providing Siti with a lawyer and consular assistance.
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