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Suspect in Kim Jong-nam assassination said she practiced ‘prank’ for Japan TV

Siti Aishah, 25 (suspect’s Facebook profile, via Nippon News Network)
Siti Aishah, 25 (suspect’s Facebook profile, via Nippon News Network)

KUALA LUMPUR (TR) – A woman arrested over the suspected poisoning death of Kim Jong-nam said a man claiming to be Japanese paid her to participate in what he said was a “prank” for a television show in Japan, Nippon News Network reported on Sunday (Feb. 19).

Police in Malaysia arrested the woman carrying an Indonesian passport identifying herself as Siti Aishah, 25, at around 2:00 a.m. on Thursday as part of an investigation in the suspected poisoning death of Kim Jong-un’s brother at the hands of spies at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday.

Aishah spoke of being offered a job by a man claiming to be Japanese when she was visiting home last month, her older sister said.

“When I asked [Aishah] who she was working for, she replied they were ‘Japanese,’” her sister said. “The man was often calling her when she was at our family home.”

Aishah said she was “requested to dump sauce on a rich man for a TV show that will be broadcast in Japan.”

“Prank” to dump sauce on target

“[Aishah] was talking about pulling pranks on the target by grabbing his cheeks with both hands, poking his arms and dumping sauce on him,” her sister said. “She said [the man was] paying her a lot of money, so she was told not to try watching the show that was going to be aired.”

Last month, Aishah also mentioned she “took part in a shooting as a prank” at a shopping mall in Indonesia and accepted some 8,500 yen from the man.

Police also arrested Ri Jong Chol, 46, of North Korean nationality on Friday in connection with the murder of the estranged half-brother of the North Korean leader.

South Korean media circulated photos of the North Korean man being led into a police station on Saturday. Local media reported that he entered and departed Malaysia numerous times.

“LOL” shirt

A woman carrying a Vietnamese passport identifying herself as Doan Thi Huong, 28, was also arrested on Wednesday in connection with the case.

A screen grab distributed by news outlets shows a female suspect wearing a white long-sleeve shirt with the writing “LOL” across the front.

Kim was grabbed from behind and temporarily held inside a terminal at the airport prior to a flight to Macau on Monday, according to previous news reports.

Complaining of dizziness, Kim then sought help. He was later confirmed dead en route to a hospital.