The main event in the development of the plot surrounding the murder in Malaysia was the fact that on 3 March 2017, Malaysian authorities deported Ri Jong Chol, a citizen of the DPRK, who had previously been detained on suspicion of involvement in the murder. After a week of detention he was expelled from the country due to problems with his work visa and was not employed where stated in his documents.
South Korean mass media, having already announced that Ri was the organizer of the assassination and the manufacturer of the poison, described the situation with undisguised sadness: "Ri Jong Chol assisted the organizers of the murder, but the local prosecutor's office was not able to bring an action against him because he never admitted his guilt and evidence was insufficient". He seems to have picked up four North Koreans at the airport, who South Korea attempted to declare on the wanted list, but no evidence was found in the apartment they rented, or in other areas they could have been, nor were traces found of any chemicals or signs that these people could store or produce the poison.
But a murder charge has been brought against the direct executors of the murder. A statement to the media declared that Doan Thi Huong and Siti Aisya were charged under Article 302 of the Criminal Code of Malaysia, punishable up to death by
hanging. But the Supreme Court will proceed to trial no sooner than in a few months, so the investigation is going to be a long one.
Comment: For background on the diplomatic row, see our SOTT Focus: The Bigger Picture: What's Behind the Souring Relationship Between Turkey and The Netherlands