Malaysian police release North Korean suspect

(Baonghean.vn)- On March 3, Malaysian police announced that the only North Korean suspect in the murder of Kim Jong-nam had been released. Malaysian police were furious because they believed the suspect was involved in the case but lacked solid evidence.

North Korean suspect Ri Jong Chol is escorted by police to a car in Sepang, Malaysia. Photo: AP

Ri Jong-Chol is one of eight North Korean suspects suspected of involvement in the murder of Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Malaysia's attorney general said there was insufficient evidence to charge Ri, 47, and he was released today.

Ri was escorted out of the police headquarters on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur under tight security and handed over to immigration authorities.

AFP news agency quoted police chief Khalid Abu Bakar as saying: "We believe that Ri Jong-Chol is involved in the murder of the person named on Kim Chol's passport, but we do not have enough evidence to charge him. We are very angry about this."

However, Mr. Bakar rejected allegations that the reason for Ri's release was due to political or diplomatic pressure, stressing that this was only a matter of investigation.

The release came just two days after two women - one Vietnamese and one Indonesian - were charged with Mr Kim's murder.

Lan Ha

(According to AFP)