Ri Jong-chol, a suspect in the murder of the estranged half-brother of North Korea’s leader, said in Beijing that he was a victim of a conspiracy by Malaysian authorities attempting to damage the honor of North Korea.
Ri, a North Korean, accused Malaysia of using coercion to try to extract a confession from him, in comments to reporters outside the North Korean embassy in Beijing early on Saturday.
Kim Jong-nam was murdered on February 13 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, after being assaulted by two women who Malaysian police believe smeared his face with VX, a chemical classified by the United Nations as a weapon of mass destruction.
The murder of Kim Jong-nam has soured relations between Malaysia and North Korea, which had maintained friendly ties for decades.
Ri said he was not at the airport on the day of the killing, and knew nothing about the accusation that his car was used in the case. “I didn’t go [to the airport], and I had no reason to go. I was just doing my work,” he said.
Ri said he had worked in Malaysia trading ingredients needed for soap.
Ri was in Beijing on his way back to North Korea after Malaysia deported him on Friday.
Outside the North Korean embassy, Ri told reporters that he was presented with false evidence in Malaysia, and police showed him pictures of his family in detention.
“These men kept telling me to admit to the crime, and if not, my whole family would be killed, and you too won’t be safe,” he said. Ri claimed police has told him he would be rewarded with a comfortable life in Malaysia if he confessed. (Reuters)