Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email The story continues today, with few more revelations:
The datukship of the suspect is being investigated by the police, and so far replies from the states indicates no such awards, reports The Star. So, this most likely means its a bogus Datukship.
The main suspect in the murder of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya is not a Datuk after all.
Police enquiries in all states to trace who had conferred a Datukship on the 41-year-old drew a blank, sources said.
It is learnt that the suspect had bought the so-called title from a businessman for RM180,000.
The man had promised him that his name would be included on the list of recipients for Datukship.
Apparently, the businessman told the suspect that he was free to use the title following the inclusion of his name on the list.
Sources revealed that police were also looking for the businessman.
Not only that, DAP’s Tony Pua had dismissed claims that the suspects are life-long members of DAP:
He added that Utusan Malaysia also attempted to link DAP with the murder of businesswoman Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and her friends.
“In a report yesterday, Utusan Malaysia quoted a Mohd. Zahid Md. Arip who tried to implicate DAP as being connected, even if remotely to the ghastly murders of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others,” said Pua.
In the report, Zahid who was a PKR Youth leader who defected to Umno claimed that DAP has been silent on the murder because of the suspects’ ties with the party.
“First of all, the question of DAP not condemning the murders does not arise. The party condemns all crimes, much more so heinous crimes such as the above and we have been at the forefront both in and outside parliament to call for the Royal Malaysian Police to increase their efficiency and effectiveness in fighting crime in this country,” said Pua.
“Secondly and more importantly, it is a disgusting attempt by the Umno-owned newspaper to insinuate and allege through its ‘news’ report that the murder suspects are life-members of DAP, with no attempt at all to confirm the veracity of the allegations,” he added stressing that the suspects are not party members.
Even HINDRAF had denied that the two lawyers are associated with them.
We refer to the above matter and to the Utusan Malay-sia headlines amongst others “Siasatan juga mendapati Datuk itu (an Indian lawyer) pernah memberi bantuan guaman kepada Pertubuhan haram Hindraf dan menjadi ahli seumur hidup sebuah parti politik”.
This statement is a completely untrue, false, malicious and a Seditious statement calculated to tarnish Hindraf, cause disunity among the peaceful Indian and Malay communities in Malaysia and to cause racial disharmony.
Hindraf categorically denies that the lawyer/s implicated in the murder of Susilawati has ever represented Hindraf or any of it’s supporters or had rendered legal assistance to Hindraf at any material time. And neither do we know them or had ever known them.
So, no Datuk, no DAP, no Hindraf. What else left?
Police believe they have built a strong case and so, evidence gathering efforts have stopped for the moment at the farm and river. But police are still guarding the area, said CID Director Datuk Seri Bakri Zinin.
The river has provided about 300 bone fragments so far, according the report below.
The Sungai Panchau may hold more grisly secrets than imagined. Deep beneath its muddy surface are hundreds of human bone fragments, suggesting that it may have been a watery grave for many murder victims.
It is learnt that police found more than 300 human bone fragments from the riverbed, located about four to five kilometres from the farm where the quadruple murders took place.
According to an expert, who has been handling cremations for 20 years, a human body, once burned, would leave behind about 20 to 25 visible bone fragments.
So far till yesterday, nine cases involving the lawyer have been revealed said the police:
Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said there were seven commercial crime cases involving the lawyer, totalling RM7.1mil, since 2005.
“These crimes involved land sale to members of the public, all confined within the district,” he said.
Khalid said two other cases related to the suspect were two missing persons reports and the murder of T. Selvi, 46, who was stabbed to death in front of her house in Taman Cempaka, Banting, in April last year.
Khalid disclosed this to reporters in a press conference after having a dialogue session with local community leaders here.
He accompanied Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar for the event at the district police headquarters.
When asked if the lawyer had bribed police in the district to cover up his misdeeds, Khalid said: “If there is bribery in the force, do not hesitate to report it to me personally.”
He said police would not protect those who were corrupt.
Khalid also said there were no visits by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to the district police headquarters.
There will be an investigation into the police department and land office as well to determine if there improprieties involved:
Federal police are to interview Kuala Langat police personnel who handled the re-opened files of seven fraud allegations, a murder and a missing person’s report linked to the “Datuk lawyer”, the key suspect in the grisly quadruple killings here.
It was learnt Kuala Langat Land Office staff would also be questioned in connection with the fraud reports, all believed to involve land transactions valued at RM7.1 million.
The fraud reports had been lying idle since 2005 while the murder involving a woman, T. Selvi from Taman Chempaka here, occurred in Dec 2008.
Federal police will establish whether there was any interference in the probes, or if there was one at all.
Police and Land Office personnel who have been transferred or had retired would have their statements recorded.
Police have not disclosed the identities of the complainants who claimed irregularities in the land deals including sale and purchase agreements prepared by the lawyer.
Meanwhile, the Star quoted its sources saying that the henchmen who allegedly carried out the murders may belong to several underworld groups. Sources here say the main suspect in the grisly murders, a lawyer, had close contacts with gang members as they often came to him for legal advice.
A source who attended primary and secondary school with the main suspect said the lawyer also had strong connections with a group of people who were restricted residents.
“They would do anything for him as he had helped them and their families a lot,” said the source.
He said the lawyer’s philanthropy had also helped him gain the support and respect of the men who allegedly carried out his orders.
“People did not want to mess with him, and that is why some of those who had had bad experiences with him settled their issues amicably,” the source added.
The case of the Chennai businessman gets more confusing as the Indian newspapers are taking an interest as well. You can read one such article from Deccan Chronicles here.
The disappearance of Indian millionaire A. Muthuraja has taken an intriguing twist – now the Indian media has taken up the story.
Muthuraja’s wife S. Usharani’s refusal to lodge a report with the Indian police has fuelled speculation that there is more to his disappearance.
Usharani, 24, claims that she was afraid to lodge the report in Chennai as she lived alone with her daughter.
Muthuraja allegedly disappeared after coming to Malaysia to meet the two lawyer brothers who have been implicated in the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three men with her.
The papers believed to be pursuing the story are the Deccan Chronicle, Times of India and Tamil vernacular afternoon papers Maalai Malar and Maalai Murasu.
It is believed that Muthuraja also financed movies in India.
Sources in India also alleged that the lawyer brothers had acquired substantial property in Namakkal located in Erode, Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Muthuraja’s brother, known as Kasi, had contacted a PKR member when he was here to look for his brother four months after he disappeared.
When contacted, the PKR man said: “We suspected Muthuraja was being held captive and that is why we asked Usharani to lodge the police report here on Sept 8.”
If you remember, the wife of Muthuraja said that she had made a police report earlier and her second report was on Sept 8. But this is denied by police:
However, he added, a police report on the missing businessman was only lodged on Sept 8.
“So, how could we have known (about this case) if there was no police report made?” he said at a press conference after a police-community function at the Kuala Langat district police headquarters which was also attended by inspector-general of police Ismail Omar and his deputy Hussin Ismail in Banting.
Khalid (left) said the lawyer was also linked to the murder of a woman in Banting last year.
A newspaper report today said the 44-year-old woman, T Selvi, who was the wife of an auto workshop owner, was believed to have been killed over a loan dispute involving the lawyer.
“Although the woman’s husband has made various statements on the case, I don’t wish to comment on it as the case is still under investigation,” said Khalid.
And note the above, murder last year still under investigation. Maybe he meant the file is still open.
More news about Chennai businessman death:
As the investigation into the killings of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three of her aides is being wrapped up here, a related drama is unfolding in Chennai, India.
The wife of missing multi-millionaire A. Muthuraja, who had allegedly met the lawyer brothers implicated in the Sosilawati case early this year, claims that only Rs1,000 (RM67) is left in his previously huge account after he came to Banting to meet the two men.
“I don’t know where his money went but I think it must have found its way to Malaysia,” alleged S. Usharani, who said her husband left her broke.
“I have nothing. Not even my jewellery,” lamented Usharani, 24, when contacted in Chennai yesterday.
Sources in India, however, said Usharani, a housewife, earned a reasonable monthly sum from the rental of her husband’s properties as well as from interest earned on loans he gave out.
Muthuraja, who made his wealth through business, movie financing and real estate, had allegedly gone missing after meeting the brothers on Jan 18.
Muthuraja’s disappearance has opened a floodgate of sorts, with several Indian newspapers working hard to unravel the mystery behind the movie financier’s 10-year friendship with the two Banting lawyers.
Usharani refuted an allegation by Indian businessman V.R. Kannan that the Malaysian police had called her to say Muthuraja had been murdered.
Kannan, who had accompanied Usharani on a trip to Kuala Lumpur from Chennai on Sept 8 to lodge a report at the Banting police station, had told The Star that the call came to Usharani at about 6.30pm (Malaysian time) on Wednesday.
Usharani retorted: “No one called me. Please do not believe what is being said about my husband.”
A journalist with a Chennai-based English daily said speculation was rife that Muthuraja worked as a middleman for business deals between the two brothers and some influential people.
And reading the below news will make you more confused:
Various theories abound over the disappearance of Chennai millionaire A. Muthuraja, 34, with some alleging his involvement in clandestine activities with the lawyer brothers, key suspects in the murder of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and her three associates.
They have known each other for about 10 years and speculation is rife that the trio could have been involved in sinister businesses here and in India.
Muthuraja’s wife Usha Rani, 24, had told Indian Press that her husband had told her that the brothers were into ‘shady’ deals and that he had wanted to cut all connections with them.
However, when Muthuraja came to Malaysia on Jan 18, he had about 20kg of jewellery and substantial cash, according to Usha.
Indian media reported that Usha had not made a missing person’s report in Chennai stoking suggestions that it was a deliberate move to keep her husband off the police radar there.
Journalist Tamil Selvam told The Malay Mail that Usha’s claim that she did not lodge a report in Chennai for fear of reprisal was “regrettable” as what she needed now was police protection.
Usha had said she was afraid to lodge a report in Chennai because she lived alone with her three-year-old daughter.
“She flew down to Malaysia to make a missing person’s report on Sept 8, long after Muthuraja went missing on Jan 18, so it makes no sense why she did not lodge a report in Chennai as well,” said Tamil Selvam.
He said if she had feared for her safety Usha would not have come to Malaysia to make the report on Sept 8 because the brothers were only arrested in connection with the quadruple murders three days later.
“Malaysian police might need the assistance of their Indian counterparts to conduct a thorough investigation into Muthuraja’s disappearance that might just lead to something else.”
Usha’s claim that the latest missing person’s report was her second was denied yesterday by Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar.
She had also said her brother-in-law Kasi Viswanathan came here four months ago to look for her husband.
The lawyer brothers, she said, immediately sent him back to Chennai with Muthuraja’s luggage.
She claimed they told him her husband was caught attempting to smuggle ketamine into the country and that they should lie low.
Further, she recalled that a man claiming to have served a short prison term in Malaysia showed up in Tirunelveli, a district of Tamil Nadu in south India, and her husband’s relatives had met Muthuraja in jail.
Muthuraja has various business ventures in India including jewellery shops, plantations, hotels and restaurants.
The Bar Council also strives to protect its image by saying that the police should hasten investigation of lawyers removed from the bar.
Errant lawyers struck off the rolls by the Disciplinary Board are not being investigated by police despite reports lodged against them.This is one of the main concerns which will be brought up by the Malaysian Bar in its first meeting with the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar soon.
Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan said an average of 40 lawyers were disbarred annually for various cases, including criminal breach of trust, adding that it had 13,000 members.
“In most cases, police reports are lodged against lawyers but unfortunately, police action has been slow or none at all.“Most of these case are treated as NFA (no further action) by police, especially at the district level,” said Ragunath who was speaking to reporters after the launch of the sixth phase of the Bar’s “My Constitution” awareness campaign here yesterday in conjunction with Malaysia Day.
“We urge the IGP to ensure that the federal police headquarters in Bukit Aman handles all cases dealing with errant lawyers. District police stations should be left out.
“On our part, when we receive complaints against lawyers, the most we can do is to strike them off the rolls. In most, if not all cases, we also lodge police reports against the errant lawyers.“It is up to the police to act fast in bringing them to book based on the reports.”
Ragunath said the Bar was prepared to assist police in any way in the investigations against these errant lawyers.
“We’re not here to defend errant lawyers.”
Read an interview with Bar Council president here.
Finally, The Star writes about the suspects’ family wealth. From my understanding, their family where involved in money-lending business since those days.
Contrary to reports that they came from humble beginnings, the two lawyer brothers implicated in the Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya murder had a good start in life as their parents were wealthy.
A long-time Banting resident, who has known the lawyers and their family for almost four decades, said their father had amassed substantial wealth through land brokerage.
“He was clever in handling money and had bought a piece of prime land in the centre of Banting town that fetched a good price when the town was developed,” said the woman, who wanted to be known only as Devi.
She said a developer gave the lawyers’ father several shophouses in contra deals for the land.
Devi added: “He managed his money well and kept adding to his properties. He also gave all his children a good education.”
It is believed that one of the lawyers is the eldest of four children.
Meanwhile, a Banting-based businessman, who claims to have known the main suspect since they were children, alleged that he got into a controversial land deal with the lawyer about five years ago.
“He told me there was a piece of land going cheap in Klang and asked if I would like to join him in a partnership to buy and resell the land for a big profit,” he said.
The businessman, who declined to be named, said he agreed and used his house as collateral for the lawyer to take a loan to buy the land.
“He borrowed about RM450,000 with my house title but I found out later that the land did not exist,” he said.
The lawyer, however, returned the land deed to the Banting businessman last year with a caveat placed on the property to prevent the businessman from selling or transferring it to anyone.
“He told me he’ll remove the caveat but I have to seek help from others now,” said the businessman.
