KUALA LUMPUR: Tombo Enterprise Sdn Bhd managing-director, Chong Ah Kow has denied that North Korean national Ri Jong Chol, the male suspect detained on Saturday in connection with the assasination of Kim Jong-nam, is an employee of his company as reported by the media.
Chong said Jong Chol was a middleman to conduct business matters related to a health product to treat cancer with his company which has been operating in Cheras since 2013.
“I came to know Jong Chol through his uncle Dr Mun Ho, a North Korean scientist, who introduced his nephew in 2013, after discussing about a mushroom extract product to treat cancer around 1998 to 2000,” he told reporters who had gathered at his office this evening.
Chong’s company became the focus of the media following reports which stated that Jong Chol worked at the Information Technology Department of Tombo Enterprise Sdn Bhd. Several foreign journalists were also at the premises of the company to obtain information about it.
Chong, who calmly replied questions from the journalists, explained that the last time he communicated with Jong Chol was via WhatsApp on Friday, a day before the North Korean was detained by police.
According to Chong, the communication via WhatsApp, however, was done via Jong Chol’s daughter, as he was not well-versed in English.
Chong also showed his handphone which showed the WhatsApp messages in English between them, for three days, from Thursday to Saturday.
Chong stressed that his company had never hired Jong Chol but had only assisted over his work visa application to conduct business in Malaysia in 2013.
On Jong Chol’s character throughout their acquaintanceship, Chong, who had met Jong Chol several times, regarded the man as moderate, humble and gentle.
“In our dealings, Jong Chol often brought along his daughter, in her 20s, who is studying at HELP University here, to act as interpreter for our conversations, because he (Jong Chol) did not know English. “I was very shocked when I found out Jong Chol was detained by police on Saturday on suspicion of involvement in Kim Jong-Nam’s death,” he said.
Chong said he only dealt with Jong Chol on business matters.
“My company wants to venture in import and export businesses especially oil palm products and herbal extracts, but until today no actual transactions took place because the prices of the products had not been agreed upon,” he said. To date, police have detained three other suspects including two women, namely, a Vietnamese, Doan Thi Huong, 28, Indonesian, Siti Aisyah, 25, who have are remanded until Wednesday.
A Malaysian man, Muhammad Farid Jalaluddin, 26, believed to be Siti Aishah’s boyfriend was detained prior to this, to help in investigation.
Jong Chol will be remanded until Friday to help in investigation.
On Monday, Jong-nam was reported to be in KL International Airport 2 (klia2)to board a flight to Macau when a woman suddenly clamped a cloth over his face which was believed to be laced with a poisonous liquid.
Jong-nam, who used the name Kim Chol in his passport, was reported to have died on the way to the hospital. -- Bernama