SHAH ALAM, Malaysia (AP) – The Latest on the trial in Malaysia of two women accused of killing North Korean ruler’s half brother (all times local):
12:30 p.m.
A government chemist says the VX nerve agent that killed the estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader could not have been a combination of two non-fatal elements smeared on Kim Jong Nam’s face.
Chemist Raja Subramaniam said Tuesday at the murder trial of the two women accused of killing Kim that a high temperature would have been required to make a “binary” concoction of VX.
While being cross-examined by the suspects’ attorneys, the chemist agreed with the defense assertion that VX could have been smuggled into Malaysia or that a non-fatal compound could have been smuggled into the country and mixed clandestinely.
Their attorneys have said the women were duped by suspected North Korean agents.
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10:30 a.m.
A government chemist says the estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader had about 1.4 times the lethal dosage of VX nerve agent on his face after he was attacked at a Malaysian airport terminal.
Government chemist Raja Subramaniam testified Tuesday at the murder trial of two women accused of smearing the chemical weapon on Kim Jong Nam’s face on Feb. 13.
The chemist said pure VX was in Kim’s eye and blood and on the collar and sleeves of Kim’s blazer.
Raja said he couldn’t directly say if the VX concentration was enough to kill Kim, but the amount “is about 1.4 times the lethal dosage.”
He said the amount in Kim’s eye was smaller, but that correlated to VX penetrating faster through the eye than through the skin.