SHAH ALAM, SELANGOR - A Malaysian court heard on Tuesday (Oct 10) that the concentration of the deadly VX nerve agent found on the skin of Mr Kim Jong Nam, half-brother of North Korea's leader, was 1.4 times the lethal dose.
The court also heard that Mr Kim's personal items that tested positive for VX were sent back to North Korea.
Resuming his testimony on Tuesday, Mr Raja Subramaniam, chemist with the Chemistry Department of Malaysia, detailed the lethal potential of VX. He said animal studies showed the lethal dosage is 0.142 milligrams per kilogramme of body weight, and that 50 per cent of the tested population will die when exposed to this dosage on their skin.He estimated the concentrate on Mr Kim’s facial skin was 0.2 milligram per kilogramme of body weight.
Asked if the VX agent found on Mr Kim’s face was enough to kill the North Korean, he said: “I can’t give a direct answer on this. Based on concentrate estimate, it is about 1.4 times the lethal dosage.”
The court also heard that Mr Kim's personal items were sent back to North Korea. "The blazer was placed in a paper bag and was returned to the officer on March 30, 2017," said the chemist.
When asked by defence counsel Gooi Soon Seng if the blazer and other items were sent back to North Korea, he said, "I was told, yes", adding that he was instructed to do so by the police investigating officer.
The 12 items include Mr Kim's blazer and Tumi bag, both of which had tested positive for the precursor and degradation products for VX. Mr Raja said samples had also been destroyed after testing, as per standard operating procedures.
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/kim-jong-nams-personal-items-with-traces-of-vx-nerve-agent-sent-back-to-north-korea
