A Lay denies role in Nyo Beng Seng murder
A Lay denies role in Nyo Beng Seng murder
JAKARTA (JP): The lawyer of Oey Jeng Lay, alias A Lay, suspected of playing a role in the slaying of businessman Nyo Beng Seng, acknowledged yesterday that his client was the victim's close friend but said he had nothing to do with the murder.
A Lay's lawyer, O.C. Kaligis, told The Jakarta Post after a series of questioning sessions at the Penjaringan police subprecinct that he is confident his client is innocent in connection with the murder.
"I myself have conducted my own investigation into this case and I am quite sure that my client, better known as Lay San, is innocent," Kaligis said.
Earlier, he had said that he planned to ask for a reduced sentence if his client was later found guilty of hiring paid killers to assassinate Beng Seng.
"But now, I believe that Lay San had nothing to do with the murder and did not play a role in the killing," Kaligis said.
Yesterday was the fourth day of the questioning of A Lay at the Penjaringan police subprecinct, North Jakarta, which is handling the case. The first session was carried out last Wednesday soon after A Lay returned to Jakarta from Singapore.
The victim, Beng Seng, alias Darmansyah Suyadi, 57, was stabbed at 2 a.m. on April 15 by a group of at least four masked men in front of his second wife's house at Jl. Pluit Kencana Raya 128.
Police sources believe the group was paid by a business competitor to kill Beng Seng.
Minutes before he died, he whispered to his second wife, Tuti Sulastri, 47, two names, Hong Lie and A Lay, who are believed to have plotted his slaying.
Based on Beng Seng's statement, police then summoned A Lay as a suspect in the case.
Kaligis commented: "My client and the late Beng Seng had known each other for five or six years, and the victim always called him Lay San, not A Lay."
"In my personal opinion, there might be someone other than my client who was also called A Lay," he said.
Kaligis, however, questioned Tuti's testimony to police saying she had never met A Lay.
The lawyer quoted his client as saying that A Lay had paid all his debts to the victim via Tuti.
During the questioning, A Lay told the police that he has paid almost half of his Rp 3.5 billion (US$1.63 million) debt he owed to Beng Seng at several gambling arena in the Portuguese colony of Macao.
Police are still investigating the case.
So far the police have questioned eight people, including A Lay, and confiscated the sheath of a samurai allegedly used by four assailants to kill Beng Seng as evidence.
Sources believed that Beng Seng's driver, Saaman, might have recognized or have been able to identify the murderers as he was at the scene when the killing took place.
However, Saaman told the police that he could not identify any of the four masked people.(bsr)