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)