Police focus investigation on Hong Lie
Police focus investigation on Hong Lie
JP/3/BENGSENG
Police focus investigation on Hong Lie
JAKARTA (JP): Police yesterday confirmed a report that they are focusing their investigation on one man in the gangland slaying of Nyo Beng Seng, who was murdered last month.
The killing was believed to have been planed by a major competitor in the gambling businesses.
"We're now focusing our investigation on one man but, as of today, we don't have strong enough evidence to nab him," City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Latief Rabar told reporters here yesterday.
Latief, however, refused to name the person he was referring to.
He also refused to comment on whether the man was Hong Lie or A Lay, two competitors with Beng Seng in the lucrative gambling rackets.
As Nyo Beng Seng lay dying on the way to the hospital, he reportedly mentioned the names of Hong Lie and A Lay to his second wife, identifying them as his assailants.
Hong Lie is believed to have been a main competitor of Beng Seng in the business of arranging illegal-gambling junkets to places such as the Portuguese colony of Macao, the Genting Highlands in Malaysia, Perth in Australia and Hong Kong.
A Lay is believed to have been Hong Lie's right-hand man but lately he has reportedly started branching out on his own.
Hong Lie
On Wednesday, the city police held a special meeting, presided over by City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto, to study all related information in connection with the murder.
The meeting reportedly ended with a decision to focus police investigation on the possible involvement of Hong Lie in the killing of Beng Seng.
Hong Lie, however, is still abroad.
A Lay, whose full name is Oey Jeng Lay, has been questioned at least five times by the investigators at the Penjaringan police subprecinct who are handling the case.
His lawyer, O.C. Kaligis, denied a report that A Lay had become a suspect of plotting the killing.
"A Lay has been questioned neither as a witness, nor as a suspect, but as a citizen (close to the victim) to explain his position and alibi in connection with Beng Seng's slaying," Kaligis said.
Beng Seng, alias Darmansyah Suyadi, 57, was stabbed at 2 a.m. on April 15 by four or more masked men in front of his second wife's mansion at Jl. Pluit Kencana Raya 128 in North Jakarta.
Besides being widely known as junket and 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 the Kota area.
The investigation on Beng Seng's death has been going on for three weeks with no significant findings.
At least eight people have been questioned in conjunction with the killing. The key witness to the murder, Beng Seng's driver Saaman, 45, has been hidden by the police to protect him.
Beng Seng's two wives and children have earlier told reporters that the death has nothing to do with money, business or inherited wealth within their families.
"We live in harmony," Adnan, 30, Beng Seng's son from his first wife. (bsr)