KUALA LUMPUR: North Korea wants a joint investigation to be conducted into the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and said it has lost trust in the Malaysian investigation.
North Korean ambassador to Malaysia, Kang Chol expressed disappointment at Malaysia’s handling of the investigation and can no longer trust it.
“It has been seven days since the incident, but there is no clear evidence on the cause of death. At the moment, we cannot trust the investigation by the Malaysian police, even though it has yet to conclude,” he said.
Among others, he questioned why there was still no evidence of the cause of death even after seven days.
“We hereby officially inform Malaysia and the international community that we suggest a joint investigation on this incident for clarification.
“If Malaysia agrees with our suggestion, we will dispatch a lawyers’ delegation which means (shows) our determination to clarify this incident via a joint investigation with Malaysian police.”
Kang Chol said Malaysia had asked North Korea to respect and abide by Malaysian rules and regulations, and this is being done.
He also claimed that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim had made "false allegations."
Kang Chol was speaking to the press outside the North Korean embassy here, shortly after he was summoned to the Foreign Ministry today to explain his criticism of Malaysian authorities over the incident over the weekend.
Kang Chol had at a press conference on Feb 17 said the Malaysian government had “something to conceal”, and alleged that Malaysia was “colluding and playing into the gallery of external forces”.
Wisma Putra, in a strongly-worded response today, refuted the accusations as “baseless’, and stressed that it had been transparent, and that the North Korean embassy had been kept informed of developments in relation to the matter and the processes involved under Malaysian law.
Wisma Putra has since recalled Malaysian ambassador in Pyongyang Mohamad Nizan Mohamad, to Kuala Lumpur for consultations.
Kim Jong-nam was travelling under the name ‘Kim Chol’ when he was believed to have been poisoned by two women at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport last week.
North Korea has since demanded that Jong-nam’s body be returned to them. Malaysia has however stood firm and refused, saying that Jong-nam’s family has to provide DNA proof first of his identity.