Not Enough Evidence to Pursue Charges Against Indonesian Woman Accused of Murdering Kim Jong-nam
Jakarta. Malaysian police have not found enough evidence to pursue charges against Siti Aisyah, an Indonesian woman who was detained last week for her alleged involvement in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Indonesia's Foreign Affairs Ministry has claimed.
"Investigators have requested to hold [Siti] in custody for seven more days, this shows they didn't find enough evidence to pursue charges," the director of citizen protection and legal aid at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, said on Wednesday (22/02).
CCTV footage seemed to show Kim Jong-nam was killed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport with what was believed to be fast-acting poison. He managed to seek medical assistance, but died en route to the hospital.
Reuters reported that the official cause of death and confirmation of the murdered man's identity will have to wait until Malaysian authorities complete their investigation.
Lalu said the ministry does not want to speculate or make conclusions on allegations that Siti was involved in Kim Jong-nam’s murder and that she had connections with the North Korean intelligence agency before she is formally charged.
Lalu stressed the Indonesian government will respect the legal process in Malaysia.
Indonesia requested permission to provide assistance to Siti last Saturday, and Malaysian state news agency Bernama on Wednesday reported Malaysia has given assurance that all of Siti's legal rights will be provided and her welfare guaranteed.
According to Bernama, Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim had said, "Malaysia holds firm to the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty."
The Royal Malaysia Police have arrested four suspects in Kim Jong-nam's assassination.
The three other suspects are Vietnamese woman Doan Thi Huang, a Malaysian citizen believed to be Siti's boyfriend and a North Korean man identified as Ri Jong-chol.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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