Kim Jong-nam murder case for mention Thursday in Sepang Court

Two foreigners who are facing a charge of murdering Kim Chol, or Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un will be brought before the Sepang Court again.

The high-profile case was fixed for mention tomorrow for the prosecution and lawyers for the duo to brief the court on its development.

On March 1, Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, 28, were charged in the Magistrate's Court with four others still at large, with murdering Kim Chol, 45.

They allegedly committed the offence at KL International Airport 2 (klia2) departure hall around 9am on Feb 13 this year, as charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code which provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

No plea were taken from them as the case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

At the last proceeding, reporters who entered the courtroom were disallowed from bringing in any electronic equipment including mobile phones.

They were subjected to body search and four screenings by the police before being allowed to enter the courtroom.

It was reported that Jong-nam was at klia2 on Feb 13 to board a flight to Macau when two women approached and suddenly wiped his face with toxic liquid which was later identified as a VX nerve agent.

Jong-nam, who travelled with a passport bearing the name of Kim Chol, died on the way to Putrajaya Hospital. He had come to Malaysia on Feb 6.

On March 31, media practitioners who had been camping in front of the National Institute of Forensic Medicine here since Feb 15, spotted a van which they suspected contained Jong-nam's body, leaving the premises at 1.40pm.

The coroner approved the release of the body following the completion of the autopsy and receipt of a letter from his family requesting for the remains to be returned to North Korea.

-- BERNAMA