Jong Nam's death due to acute VX nerve agent poisoning - Witness

Kim Jong-nam or Kim Chol, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was confirmed to have died due to acute poisoning by VX nerve agent, the High Court here was told today.

Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) Forensic Division chief, Dr Mohd Shah Mahmood said the post-mortem results showed no other factor as having caused the death, apart from acute VX nerve agent poisoning.

He said he conducted the post-mortem on Jong-nam on Feb 15 after the police handed over the body from the Putrajaya Hospital on Feb 13, 2017.

In reply to a question from deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin during examination-in-chief, he said in general, the internal examination on the victim found the internal organs and lungs swollen.

"The victim's right lung weighed 690 grams while the left lung was 420 grams. Usually, the weight of an adult lung is about 300 grams.

"The victim's lungs suffered oedematus (excess fluid in the tissues or organs). In this case, after setting aside other factors such as illness or injuries and based on a toxicology report from the chemistry department, there were positive signs of VX nerve agent," said the sixth prosecution witness.

Dr Mohd Shah, 57, said the external examination on the victim's body also found minor injuries to the lower and upper lips with signs of bruising, abrasion and scratches.

Earlier during cross-examination, pathology specialist from HKL, Dr Norashikin Othman, 44, agreed with lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik's suggestion that the pathologist report could mean that the accused, Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25 and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28 were not exposed to the VX nerve agent.

However, the fifth witness disagreed with lawyer Gooi Soon Seng representing Siti Aisyah, when he suggested that Doan's normal level of cholinesterase enzymes showed that the woman was not exposed to the VX nerve agent.

She said the reading could have been achieved if the accused was exposed to low amount or within a short period of time, and absorption through the skin was lower compared to the poison being swallowed or inhaled.

Siti Aisyah and Doan were charged with four others still at large, with the murder of Jong-nam, 45, at the KL International Airport 2 (klia2) departure hall at 9am on Feb 13 this year.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which provides for the mandatory death penalty upon conviction.

The trial before Judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin continues tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA