KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Vietnamese woman Doan Thi Huong, who is accused of the murder of Kim Chol or Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, came to Malaysia with two male suspects who were still at large one month before Kim Chol died of VX poisoning.

Doan, 29, who came to Malaysia with Hanamori and Ri Ji Hyon, known as ‘Mr Y’ via the Vietnam Airlines flight from the Noi Bao Airport, stayed in two separate rooms on the fifth floor, Concorde Hotel, Kuala Lumpur from Jan 3 to 5, 2017.

Doan’s counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, said this when reading out her cautioned statement on the 33rd day trial of Doan, and Siti Aisyah, 26, an Indonesian, who were charged with four others still at large, with murdering Kim Chol, 45, at the Departure Hall of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (Klia2) at 9am on Feb 13, 2017.

In the cautioned statement, Doan said Mr Y directed her to carry out the first prank by saying ‘Hello’ and giving a surprise kiss to a European man at a supermarket in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 5, but the prank was unsuccessful when the man had reprimanded Doan and told her that she had mistaken him for someone else.

"After that, I returned to Vietnam on the same day but Hanamori and Mr Y stayed behind and I don’t know how many days they stayed in the country. I was paid US$ 20 for the failed prank US$ 250 for my January salary by Mr Y.

The cautioned statement also stated that Doan’s second visit to Malaysia was on Feb 4, 2017 with Mr Y via a Malaysia Airlines flight and stayed at the Pearl International Hotel until Feb 6, to carry out more pranks.

All these matters were agreed to by the ninth witness, investigating officer ASP Wan Azirul Nizam Che Wan Aziz.

Wan Azirul Nizam also told the court that he disagreed with Hishyam that the investigation carried out was defective, biased and not free.

Hisyam then questioned Wan Azirul if he knew that Doan went to Cambodia with Mr Y and Hanamori but did not carry out any prank there, to which Wan Azirul Nizam agreed based on the accused’s conversation.

Wan Azirul also said that he did not go to Cambodia to investigate the matter because it was not important for him.

The hearing before Judge Datuk Azmi Ariffin continues on March 20. — Bernama