JP/3/MURDER.B07

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)