Beng Seng's murder may be plotted by competitor: Police

JAKARTA (JP): The police said yesterday they believe that the four masked men who killed a nightclub owner suspected of running gambling dens in Kota and Macao were sent by the victim's competitor in that Portuguese territory.

"On the way to the hospital, the victim whispered to his wife and daughter the name of someone, whom we found later was a foreigner. The man is the victim's business competitor in Macao," Lt. Col. Heru Susanto, chief of the North Jakarta police precinct said yesterday.

Heru said the police are now focusing their operation on material evidence and the four hired assassins in an attempt to arrest the third party who plotted the killing.

The victim, identified as Nyo Beng Seng, also known as Darmansyah Suyadi, 57, was stabbed 12 times at 2 a.m. on Friday in the yard of his second wife's mansion at Jl. Pluit Kencana Raya 128 in Pluit.

After slaying the man, the four, who arrived and departed in a dark colored minibus, ran to their waiting vehicle parked in front of the house without taking anything from the victim, such as his Rolex watch or his Baby Benz.

Besides being widely known as the owner of the Irama Tara cassette and video recording firm, Beng Seng also owned a number of nightclubs, massage parlors and beauty salons. Many of his business activities are located in Kota.

Reliable sources said Beng Seng's interests included gambling dens.

His first wife, Anita, 56, said that Beng Seng, who had lived with his second wife, Tuti Sulastri, 47, in Pluit for a long time, was in the habit of playing mah-jongg all night long.

"He also operates gambling halls in Macao and has a number of competitors in the city which we believe wanted him dead," Heru said.

All four assailants, who are still at large, are believed to be Jakartans.

Samurai blade

The police have also confiscated the victim's car and a pair of black sandals belonging to Beng Seng, as well as the scabbard for a samurai blade which was found at the scene.

While his wife's house was equipped with a remote controlled gate and a television monitor, this security equipment had not worked for months.

The assailants are believed to have closely followed the victim's car as he went through the gates, which open and close slowly.

As of yesterday, North Jakarta investigators were still questioning the victim's driver, Saman, 45, and a security guard at a nearby house.

"We still have nothing substantial from them, thus far, but we still need them," Heru said, adding that neither of the two witnesses could identify the attackers.

During earlier questioning, Saman told investigators that he drove his employer to his second wife's house in Pluit from Jl. Mangga Besar VIII, a business district in Kota, at about 1:30 a.m. Friday.

The driver said that Beng Seng was stabbed by the assailants as he stepped out of the car, and that he did not realize what was happening until he heard his employer scream for help.

"I got out of the car, embraced him for support and cried for help from his second wife, Tuty, and their 20-year-old daughter, Verawaty, inside the house," Saman said.

He said that on the way to the Atmajaya hospital, Beng Seng, who is also a Kung Fu practitioner, spoke in Mandarin to Tuty and Verawaty, a language he does not understand.

The businessman died 15 minutes later at the hospital and his corpse will be buried in Bogor tomorrow.

According to Adnan, 30, Beng Seng's son from Anita, their families have never been involved in any disputes involving money or business. (bsr)