POLICE have named Ri Ji-u as the fifth North Korean man believed to be linked to the death of Kim Jong-nam.

Ji-u’s name was obtained from the phone of Indonesian murder accused Siti Aisyah but police never obtained footage of the 57-year-old, who also goes by the name “James”.

Four other North Korean suspects – Ri Jae-nam, 57, who was previously labelled during the trial as Hanamori; Hong Song-hac (Mr Chang), 34; Ri Ji Hyon (Mr Y), 33; and O Jong-gil, 57 (James) – were named on October 12 and were said to have arrived separately in Malaysia in the weeks before the alleged poisoning on February 13. 

The men’s nicknames were obtained from statements made to the police by Siti and second murder accused, Vietnames Doan Thi Hoang. 

All the men held North Korean passports and remain at large with their names still on Interpol’s red notice, the Shah Alam High Court today was told.  

Investigating officer Assistant Superintendant Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Azizi said Song Hac arrived the earliest, on January 31, followed by Jae Nam (February 1), Ji Hyon (February 4) and Jong Gil (February 7).

Azirul, who was in charge of a police team that reviewed CCTV footage in klia2 and other locations in Kuala Lumpur, added that the men left the country hours after Jong-nam died.

Footage showed Song-hac, Ji-hyon and Jae-nam arriving at KLIA within an hour of Jong-nam’s alleged poisoning, which was carried out at exactly 9am, police said. 

The three men breezed by customs and security checkpoints by noon before boarding their flight. Footage showed the men occasionally smiling.

Other footage showed Jong-gil checking into Hotel Sama Sama, located near KLIA, two days before the attack. Following the attack, Jong-gil checked out and arrived at KLIA by about 4pm. 

Azirul did not say where Jong-gil flew to. The other three men departed for Jakarta.

He said he obtained the identities of the men from Bukit Aman’s Special Branch, but did not say when he did this. Police had issued an arrest warrant for the four men on February 18, five days after the attack.

He said he and his team had reviewed CCTV footage daily from February 13 to March 2. Six witnesses were used by the police to name the suspects, including officers from KLIA2, the restaurant owner of Bibik Heritage, an administrative worker at Hotel Sama Sama and a valet parking attendant.

Jong-nam, the brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, died on the way to Putrajaya Hospital, less than an hour after he was smeared which chemicals at the self check-in kiosk at KLIA2. 

A chemical expert, who tested samples from Jong-nam, had testified that it was likely that a modified VX nerve agent, a weapon of mass destruction, was used. 

Meanwhile, when questioned by deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad, Azirul said the distance from the toilets Siti and Doan used were about 200m from the transport hub, located one level below.

Asked why the toilets were chosen, Azirul said the purpose was to “follow what has been planned”, to which the defence team objected on the grounds that the statement was speculation and pure conjecture.

Judge Azmi Ariffin sustained the objections. – November 6, 2017.