JP/3/MURDER.B07

JAKARTA (JP): City Police announced here yesterday that they have begun collecting data on a Hong Kong citizen believed to have provided cash to two suspects of the killing of entertainment businessman Nyo Beng Seng.

"Later, if we already have completed data and information about his role in the murder, we'll ask the (Hong Kong National Central Bureau) Interpol to help us arrest him," City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told reporters here yesterday.

According to Hindarto, the Hong Kong man was identified by the two suspects, who were arrested at the Soekarno-Hatta international airport here last month, as A Gu.

"The two confessed that A Gu, who is still living in Hong Kong, has paid them Rp 50 million (US$22,883) each for the killing of Beng Seng," said the two-star general.

Hindarto, however, refused to comment further saying that the investigation of the case was still underway.

A Gu is a new name in the investigation of the murder of Beng Seng, alias Darmansyah Suyadi, 57, who was savagely stabbed to death 12 times in the middle of the night on April 15 in front of his second wife's mansion on Jl. Pluit Kencana Raya 128 in North Jakarta.

Previously, the only persons believed to have -- at least -- known the killing as had been revealed by the police based on the confession of several witnesses were A Lay (or A Lie) and Hong Lie, two of Beng Seng's former accomplices, who then became his tough competitors in the gambling business.

Beng Seng's driver, Saman, the only witness in the murder case, told the police that he saw the murder was committed by at least four masked men in the dark of the night.

The two suspects already detained at the police station, identified as Sudartono, 40 and Agiono, 36, were nabbed by plaincloth detectives at the airport on Nov. 24 just after disembarking from Singapore.

During questioning, the two admitted that they were only assigned by someone to monitor the scene of the murder in order to facilitate the plan.

Hindarto, however, gave no further information about A Gu's role in the killing. He did not reveal whether A Gu was the plotter of the killing or was hired by someone.

When asked whether the arrest of Sudartono and Agiono last month was just a scenario made by the police Hindarto replied: "We never have a single thought in our mind to carry out such a mockery." (bsr)