The murder of cosmetic millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya has put the spotlight on a number of issues.THE gruesome murder of cosmetic millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya is certainly the most followed story in the media today as a shocked nation tries to digest what has taken place in the sleepy town of Banting over the last one week.
Every freshly revealed piece of information has jolted Malaysians and now the case seems to have expanded to India as the police put the pieces together.
In Singapore, the media has also given prominent attention to the case, which could possibly be classified as mass murder as the police have collected over 300 bone fragments.
The numbers just keep getting higher. It was first thought that only four persons were killed. The number then shot up to eight and now the press is speculating that up to 20 people could have been killed, their bodies burnt and dumped into a river.
A huge amount of money has also been found in the bank accounts of the suspects. Hired killers, said to be thugs from Kuala Lumpur, are said to be the executioners.
More revelations of missing people have surfaced and in Penang, police have reopened their files on lawyers who died in mysterious circumstances.
The two suspects are lawyers and well-known personalities in a small town. Depending on who you talk to, they are either generous personalities who give donations to the poor and are defenders of exploited foreign labourers or just people of ill repute whom the locals avoid.
One of them was earlier reported to be a Datuk but it has now been found that he is not a titled person. Worse, there was someone more cunning than him – he reportedly paid RM180,000 to a person who promised him the Datuk title. He was also told he could use the honorific while he waited for the big day to receive it.
There is a lesson here. Malaysians are no longer surprised with reports of titled people who commit crimes or are suspected to be involved in questionable activities.
The perception is that the royal houses have been too generous in awarding titles and there are allegations and suspicions that these awards were bought or that not enough or no checks were done on the nominees.
As a result, the reputation of one or two states has been affected, if not tarnished, because of these shortcomings.
The point here, however, is that it would appear that anyone can call themselves a Datuk as the public are not able to verify the authenticity of the title.
There are states with constitutions that limit the number of such titles. There are even websites where the public can check, as in Selangor, which is known to be strict on such matters. So are Johor and Sarawak.
The suspect, being a professional, could have gotten away with the Datuk title if this case had not come out in the open. One can only speculate if there are many Malaysians like him who may just be egoistic figures with fake titles. In the case of phony doctorates, it’s another story.
The Banting police are also in the spotlight: Were they indifferent towards the reports of missing people in Banting?
Was the information provided to them insufficient and did not help in follow-up action? Were the reports of missing persons filed late, as in the case of an Indian national whose wife reported to police only eight months or more after her husband went missing?
Now the Banting police are forced to respond to queries from Bukit Aman, which has taken over the investigations in this high profile case.
It is important that the police take into account public perception. They should not be defensive or dismissive but explain and educate the public on the need for details and speed to help them. It also helps if the police also review the procedures and methods so that they can improve themselves.
There are suggestions that the case has been given attention because it involves a millionaire and a Datuk. The media may have given it more attention because it involves a famous personality. But in all fairness, the police have also reacted quickly in many recent cases.
The murder of a religious school teacher in Seremban was quickly resolved and the person has been charged. So was a case in Penang involving a teenager who killed his school mate.
The police should in fact be commended for their speed and commitment in resolving the murder of Sosilawati. Many had to forego their Hari Raya holidays to focus on the investigations and at many scenes, including the river, the tasks were certainly not pleasant ones.
Let’s give credit when credit is due and not look for little faults. The police have wrapped up their investigations and it is now up to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to build a tight case against the suspects. There must be no loose ends and the police must provide enough evidence for the A-G to proceed.
They will be fighting a case against suspects who know the law well. They had better put up a good prosecution team, especially when there are high expectations from the public.
In the Teoh Beng Hock inquest, the team representing the Malaysian Anti Corruption Agency (MACC) has, to put it politely, been an embarrassment.
The A-G’s Chambers have decided to be transparent and accountable by putting up documents and video clips on their website. But they must also understand that their performance would also be open to public scrutiny and criticism. It is a double-edged decision.
Investigations on the Banting murder case may have ended but the court drama will begin soon. Like the Teoh case, there will be more to come and, certainly, there will be plenty of information that will keep Malaysians on the edge of their seats.
Two more nabbed over missing Indian businessman
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Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar |
KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 18, 2010) : Police have made further progress in multiple murder probe involving two lawyers, with the arrest of two more suspects.
The suspects who are allegedly linked to the two lawyers arrested over the killing of the cosmetic company millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and her three associates on Aug 3, were picked up to assist in the probe of another case involving missing Indian businessman A.Muthuraja.
Selangor police chief DCP Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said police arrested a 34-year-old man in Taman Wilayah, Selayang late yesterday evening.
In a follow up operation just after midnight today, a second suspect, aged 21, was arrested at Kampung Laksamana, Batu Caves.
He said investigators believe both men can shed light into the case of the missing Indian businessman.
Muthuraja who had come to Malaysia to meet the lawyers in January, had never been seen again.
His wife, S Usharani lodged a police report on Sept 8 after months of trying to locate her husband.
The latest arrests brings the total number of those detained to 10 suspects.
It is learnt that more arrests are expected to follow in the coming days.
The disappearance of Sosilawati, her lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and driver Kamaruddin Shamsuddin, 44 on Aug 30 uncovered probably the country's most gruesome case of mass homicide last week.
A 41-year-old lawyer who claimed to be a Datuk, and is believed to be the mastermind behind the killings, and his brother who is also a lawyer, are the main suspects.
Police discovered the four victims were lured to the lawyer's farm near Taman Gadong, Morib and clubbed to death before their bodies were burnt and the ashes later thrown into a nearby river.
Police believe they have built a strong case against the suspects and expect to charge them for the murders next week.
Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Datuk Ku Chin Wah said remand orders for eight suspects arrested last week, have been extended a further week until Sept 25. By Najiah on Wednesday, September 15th, 2010
Wednesday, September 15th, 2010 12:12:00
BUZZ IN TOWN: The suspects in a police car heading out of Ladang Gadong yesterday — Pic: ARIF KARTONO
The Datuk lawyer in the centre of the hideous quadruple slaughters in Banting has a personal wealth of more than RM100 million, it emerged today.
His younger brother who is also a suspect in the kill and burn atrocity could have amassed up to RM20 million, sources said.
The estimated fortunes of the brothers were based on their bank accounts that the authorities know of and the properties they owned.
The police’s anti-money laundering division have got an order from the Attorney-General’s Chambers to freeze the assets, including bank accounts, of the two lawyers.
Millions are reportedly in single accounts, said the source. Checks are underway to ascertain if they had parked money in offshore banks.
While it is known that they own several parcels of land in and around Banting, including the 1.6ha farm where the killings are thought to have occurred, the authorities believe there are more.
The brothers own several shophouses and a medical clinic in Banting besides lavish homes, notably their mansion where both of them live. They also have a fleet of high-end luxury cars.
The gained their wealth allegedly through money-laundering, obtaining properties illegally and land scams.
It is believed the brothers secured dozens of land grants as collateral in illegal money-lending deals. Caveats on properties were also their way of extorting money, said a source.
The source said the lawyers often asked for jewellery as security when giving loans.
Police yesterday seized files from his law firm in Banting town believed to contain vital information on dubious land deals and money-lending activities.
The seized files are also thought to contain land grants that have now put the owners in a fix as these documents would be crucial in investigations and perhaps later as court exhibits.
Financial institutions have extended full co-operation in the declaration of transactions undertaken by the brothers.
Investigations into their financial transactions could be time-consuming as it is believed there were numerous movements of money in and out of the country.
The brothers are among six suspects held in connection with the murders of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, 47, 44, her financial adviser and CIMB bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32 and her driver Kamarudin Shamsuddin who were reported missing on Aug 30.
The killings were believed to have occurred after Sosilawati had gone with the others to confront the lawyer regarding the transfer of a land title in a deal believed to be worth RM25mil.
Police have yet to establish if Sosilawati had actually brought RM4mil for their meeting with the Datuk as speculated.
The lawyer brothers’ known wealth
● THE 1.6ha poultry farm and land.
● Properties worth millions of ringgit.
● Semi-detached house in Banting.
● Bungalow house in Puchong where the Datuk lawyer’s wife and two sons live.
● Shophouse where their law firm is located in Banting town.
● Medical clinic run by their youngest sister.
● Nine high-end cars including seven Mercedes Benz.
Police are investigating how the brothers amassed such wealth and are looking at alleged involvement in money-laundering, obtaining properties illegally and land scams.
The police’s anti-money laundering division has applied to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for an order to freeze the assets, including bank accounts, of the two lawyers.
Investigations on the purchase of the farm land are underway and police are trying to contact the former owner.
Jho Low (in stripe shirt) leaving the entertainment outlet with his friend.
Jho Low (second from left) leaving the entertainment outlet at Upper Penang Road yesterday.
