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)