Sosilawati murders the most gruesome since Altantuya

Malaysia Chronicle

Pakatan Rakyat leaders condemned the brutal murders of cosmetics millionaire Sosilawati Lawiya and three of her associates, saying they were the most gruesome since the remains of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu were discovered in 2006.

PAS vice president Mahfuz Omar slammed the police for their slowness in linking the case to four other individuals who had gone missing last year.

“Only after intense media attention and after the victims had apparently been burnt to death and turned into ashes did our police connect the murders to another missing-persons case that took place last year and is still unsolved,” Mahfuz told Malaysia Chronicle.

Mahfuz urged newly-appointed Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to beef up investigative and policing procedures. He advised the police to identify the ‘Datuk’ lawyer linked to the Sosilawati murder and reveal the motive behind the killings as soon as possible.

He also questioned why the police chose to announce the murders even before DNA testing confirmed the identities of the victims.

“Otherwise the people will think the murders are related to another high-profile politician just like the Altantuya case,” Mahfuz said.

Second most cruel only to Altantuya's killing

Altantuya was the 28-year translator who had allegedly acted as a go-between for Prime Minister Najib Razak and his close friend Razak Baginda in the Malaysian government’s purchase of two overly-priced Scorpene submarines. She was shot and her body bombed to piece to avoid identification in a jungle clearing in Selangor.

Initially, the Malaysian authorities denied her existence but after huge public outcry, two of his former bodyguards together with Razak Baginda were tried for her murder. Razak was acquitted but the bodyguards have been sentenced to hang. Nevertheless, speculation remains rife as to who were the real master-minds who ordered her death.

Sosilawat, the 47-year old founder of the popular Nouvelle Visages line of cosmetics, was reported missing on August 30 along with her driver, lawyer and a bank officer, after going to discuss a land deal in Banting, Selangor.

"I can say that Sosilawati Lawiya and three others are believed to have been murdered and their bodies burnt with ashes strewn in a river near the coast of the south-western part of the state," Criminal Investigations Department head Bakri Zinin told a press conference on Sunday.

"Police have detained eight suspects in the case and they provided information that led us to the location where the remains were found.We will have to do a DNA analysis to fully determine the identity of the remains but we are confident these are the remains of the four."

Intense media attention

According to Bakri, one of the detainees was a 38-year-old lawyer who is believed to be the mastermind and who owned the land where the bodies were allegedly burnt. He said the lawyer, who was handling a land deal for Sosilawati, was also being investigated over the disappearance of four other people who had been reported missing in 2009.

Sosilawati's disappearance has been on the front pages of local newspapers for the past week as police carried out a nationwide search for her amid fears that she had been abducted and murdered.

Last week, a 34-year old schizophrenic man said to be related to Najib's wife, Rosmah Mansor, was acquitted of killing four family members and decapitating his father at their homes in Gemencheh earlier this year.

The Seremban High Court discharged Rashidi Ismail on the grounds of insanity and ordered him to be detained at the Kajang Prison at the pleasure of the Yang DiPertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan.

Rosmah, who has never denied or confirmed the relationship, was not in court but family members including Rashidi's 59-year old mother welcomed the judgment as an Aidilfitri gift.

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/2010/09/sosilawati-murders-most-gruesome-since.html

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Sosilawati Lawiya brutally murdered?

Bakri Zinin confirms deaths. Update from Bernama.

——————————————————————————

Woken up by a phone call today, alerting me to this sad news.

Early reports from the Malaysian media (mainstream, non-mainstream and social) today seem to indicate that the police had arrested up to 7 people in connection with the deaths of four people that could be Sosilawati and her three associates.

Sosilawati, a cosmetics entrepreneur, was reported missing more than a week ago, along with her lawyer, driver and ostensibly a financial adviser.

The mystery of the Nouvelle Visage brand founder’s disappearance maybe the stuff of front pages for the weeks if not months to come.

Latest from Bernama is this report. More updates from The Star here.

Gist: Police have recovered some personal belongings of Sosilawati at a farm in Tanjung Sepat. They believe that Sosilawati and the three men with her were murdered, their remains burned and the ashes strewn into the nearby sea.

Tanjung Sepat will now be thronged by those fascinated by the macabre, i’m sure. Interestingly though, the lawyer “Datuk” apparently arrested in relation to this case has yet to be named.

It has been nearly 4 years since the gruesome murder of Altantuya Sharibuu rocked Malayisa, and questions still abound.

And now this.

Now, consider the temerity of the party that could order the killing of four individuals, one of them well known, and just make the bodies disappear.

Some clout there. Or should we assume that practice makes perfect. Rumours are rife…but let’s not go there just yet. Whatever said, I think the police did its job…and this is pretty fast.

The families of the dead must be quite distraught right now. My condolences go to them.

Rest in Peace, Sosilawati, Kamarudin Shamsudin, Abdul Kamil Karim and Noorhisham Mohammad.

http://dansemacabre.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/sosilawati-lawiya-brutally-murdered/

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Mogul Sosilawati Lawiya's killing linked to Malaysian land deal

AP

Thursday, 16 September 2010

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Malaysians have been captivated this week by reports of the slaying of a self-made cosmetics mogul whose remains were discovered on a poultry farm owned by two lawyer brothers with an alleged history of shady land deals, according to police.

Sosilawati Lawiya and three of her aides disappeared late last month; her BMW was later found abandoned. Police said this week that all four were probably murdered, their bodies burned and the ashes discarded in streams near the lawyers' property. The motive could be a land deal gone bad, police said.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/mogul-sosilawati-lawiyas-killing-linked-to-malaysian-land-deal-2080391.html

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Police to submit Sosilawati murder report to A-G next week

KUALA LUMPUR, Friday 17 September 2010 (Bernama) -- Police are expected to submit their report on the murders of cosmetics queen Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others to the Attorney-General's Chambers next week, Bukit Aman CID chief Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin said.

Saying police were confident that they had gathered "strong evidence" to bring the suspects to justice, he said, police also believed they had solved the case.

"We are confident that we have a strong case," he told reporters at the Dang Wangi police headquarters here today.

He said the results of DNA tests on bone fragments found at the scene where the four were reported to have been murdered were expected to be known in four days.

"The bones were sent to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital yesterday," he said, adding that the tests would establish if the bones were those of Sosilawati and the other three victims.

Sosilawati, 47, CIMB Bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, were reported missing on Aug 30 after leaving for Banting over a land deal.

Police confirmed that they were brutally murdered before their bodies were burnt and the ashes thrown into rivers near Ladang Gadong, Tanjung Sepat, near Banting.

Mohd Bakri said police ceased operations to gather evidence at the Ladang Gadong farm and Sungai Panchau from today but would still be guarding the place and that the area was still off limit to the public.

"We will resume operations if there is a necessity to do so," he said, adding that police had recovered a knife and a cricket bat believed to be the weapons used in the murders.

Mohd Bakri said two special teams had been set up to investigate the murders as well as three previous missing person reports and the murder of a women.

He said that the investigations into the murders of Sosilawati and her three friends were headed by Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah while the team investigating into the three missing persons and the woman's murder was headed by deputy CID chief (intelligence and operation) Datuk Hadi Ho Abdullah.

"We have identified the suspects in the four cases. The three individuals had gone missing after meeting the main suspect while the woman was stabbed to death in front of her house last year.

"We are not ruling out the possibility that the three missing persons have been murdered," he said.

He also reiterated his reminder to the media not to go overboard in reporting the case by publishing reports based on speculation or unverified information.

Mohd Bakri said that there were too many reports quoting sources which contradicted one another which, he said, could cause the reporters or editors to be called in to explain their reports when the case was up for trial in court.

"Claims like the victims' throats were slit, that 17 people might have been murdered, that the victims were lured with cheque, and that rivers were filled with hundreds of bone fragments and various other reports are based on speculations and not a reflection of the actual incident.

"Don't speculate because it will affect police investigations. The thing is, based on the confession by the suspects, Sosilawati and her three friends had been tied, beaten and stabbed to death before their bodies were burnt and ashes thrown into the river," he said.

He also said that only eight suspects were arrested so far, including two lawyers.

Mohd Bakri also revealed that workers for the lawyer were said to be obsessed with their employer and that some had been working with the suspect for 15 years.

"The main suspect has never been conferred with a Datuk title and his assets have been frozen. The suspect had not asked for any ransom from the victims' families," he said.

Police had also taken statements from the victims' family members as well as samples for DNA tests, he added.

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/45111

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Sosilawati and three other found murdered

BANTING, Sunday 12 September 2010: It certainly is a gloomy and sorrowful Hari Raya for the family of 47-year-old cosmetic tycoon Sosilawati Lawiya. She and three others have been found murdered, with their bodies burned and ashes strewn at a river near Ladang Gadong in Tanjong Sepat, hear here.

Bernama quoted Bukit Aman CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin as telling a news conference at the Banting police headquarters that police, however, still needed the forensic confirmation to fully ascertain the matter.

The three others are Sosilawati's driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, Kampung Baru CIMB bank officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and her personal lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32. All four were reported missing since 30 August 2010 after coming here to discuss a land purchase deal.

Bakri also said that the police have arrested a 'Datuk' lawyer, his younger brother, also a lawyer, and six workers of an oil palm plantation here where Sosilawati Lawiya and others were murdered.

Bakri said the suspects admitted that they took the victims to the four-hectare plantation, bludgeoned them to death and burned their bodies. They later scattered the ashes at a river near the Ladang Gadong in Tanjong Sepat

Bakri said police picked up five of the suspects on Friday.

Yesterday, police arrested the Datuk and his brother, attached to a law firm here, while the eighth suspect was arrested today.

Bakri, however, could not confirm the date the murder took place but said that it could be anytime between the day they were reported missing and yesterday.

On the motive of the incident, Bakri said it pointed towards business rivalry between the two lawyers and Sosilawati.

http://www.mysinchew.com/node/44794

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Sosilawati murders - incompetence or corruption?

I refer to the horrific murders of Malaysia 's cosmetic queen, Sosilawati Lawiya and three of her colleagues in a not so remote farm outside Banting.

These murders could have been avoided if our police force had been more professional. Clearly the police took a tidak apa attitude or were 'in it' in all previous deaths/disappearances. The number of 'missing persons' reports all linked to these lawyers emerging all of a sudden out of the blue is testimony to this.

Do you know where this lawyer's office? Its right across the police station's reception counter, hardly 50 meters away. And do you know where he stays? In Taman Cempaka, also right across the police station. That their 'farm' at Taman Endah was conveniently located only a stone throw's away from the Hindu disposition site for the cremated ashes of the dead could explain why some of the dead have disappeared without a trace. How very convenient. Kill the victims, cremate them and throw the ashes together with the rest of the Hindu dead at Morib's established beach site location. A slick morbid operation indeed, if everything is proven true.

It is inconceivable that the police were oblivious to all their wrongdoings, especially since we now have at least two complainants coming forward, a wife of a Chennai businessman who disappeared after meeting the lawyers a year ago, and a local mechanic who had his wife slashed to death at Taman Cempaka itself with the mechanic himself ending up in the lock-up instead of both the lawyers being thrown in the slammer after a financial deal had gone wrong. This scenario looks more like a 1 Corrupted Malaysia Boleh story.

Banting police first came into notoriety when they were part of a local casino outfit in February 2004 at a house-cum-casino in Taman Emas resulting in almost the entire police force there being transferred out, some to places as far as Sarawak and Limbang after wives of the 'casino's' male clients went public. And today, the Banting police station and the quarters are immense for only one reason. The Banting area is notorious for past and present criminals and massive smuggling of goods and human beings because of its long coastline and shallow waters which make it ideal as a landing spot for smugglers and illegal immigrants.

The police have their hands full, yes. Apart from this, Banting was used previously as a location spot for criminals to be buang negeri, essentially restricted movements to only the locality of Banting. Banting further gained notoriety when a young Chinese Datuk, a well-known smuggler and ah long was shot dead at the Sakura restaurant in Jalan Imbi, KL by hitmen. The two crooked lawyers may have taken advantage of the chaotic situation to buy off certain police officers.

And on Raya day, Malaysia was presented with a rude shock. Sosilawati and 3 innocent people were brutally murdered apparently during the Ramadan. If the police had been even half as efficient before, these animals would have been sent to the gallows earlier. Even Botak Chin is beginning to look like an angel compared to these lawyers.

As the daily shocking revelations take place pertaining to these murders, one thing that bothers many people here is - who were the other farmhands who had the courage to slaughter the victims and cremate them. Were these farmhands foreigners courtesy of Ng Yen Yen's VOA (Visa on Arrival) programme to artificially boost tourist numbers? As it is well-known now, many Indian 'tourists' who acquired VOAs have now disappeared into Malaysian territory.

I do hope some of these fellows were not involved in these murders, for if they were, Ng Yen Yen surely has a lot to answer for compromising national security in exchange for increased tourist numbers.

The British Raj utilised 100,000 British Officers to maintain law and order in an India comprising of 350 million people. Malaysia with 100,000 police officers should be able to maintain order in a nation of only 28 million people if they focus on their jobs assuming immigration officers play their part as well. Our police should not be side-tracked to be used in policing political party gatherings and ferrying VIPs.

As for criminals such as ah long, smugglers and now even lawyers – there is only one way to reduce criminal intentions – an education system that inculcates proper values and an economy that thrives. That essentially is the government's duty. And the longer they tinker around trying to right our atrocious education system, the more criminals Malaysia will have because, judging from reports, our own schools appear to be the breeding grounds for future gangsters, criminals, murderers and killer lawyers.

http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/142889

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Delay in charging Sosilawati's 'killers'

By FMT staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Family members and the public will have to wait for at least a fortnight before eight suspects detained in connection with the brutal murder of millionaire businesswoman Sosilawati Lawiya and three others are charged in the court.

Sources close to the investigation and prosecution teams revealed that thus far only the mystery of the murder victims' disapperance has been answered.

Now it's all about gathering evidence, drafting the charges and successfully prosecuting the case.

"The most difficult part is ensuring justice is meted out fairly, not only to the victims' families but also to the suspects arrested in connection with the case," a source said.

The prosecution, he said, had narrowed down eight suspects to two groups, with the first group likely to be charged under Section 302 and 304 (a) or 304 (b) of the Penanl Code for murder and manslaughter.

A 41-year-old lawyer and his younger brother have been identified as the main suspects.

Two others are likely to face charges under Section 302 which carries the mandatory death sentence, while the rest might face lesser charges.

"More than one person were directly involved in the murders and we need to be very careful and thorough in drafting the charges so that no one walks free at the end of the prosecution's case.

"We should akso respect the fundamental rights of an individual as provided for in our justice system, where a suspect is presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

"We are not going give in to any sort of public pressure," said a police officer close to the investigation team.

On Sept 12, Bukit Aman CID director Mohd Bakri Zinin confirmed that four suspects, including a woman, aged between 19 and 54, had confessed to the killing of Sosilawati, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shansudin, 44, a CIMB branch officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32.

Air-tight case

Asked why the delay in charging the suspects, a source close to the prosecution said chemistry and DNA reports are very critical in completing the investigation papers.

"What we have thus far is confessions from the suspects. We need scientific evidence and the law is very clear on this where cautioned statetments alone are not enough to get a conviction," the officer added.

He said that in the past, in several high-profile cases, suspects walked free merely on technical grounds.
"This case is an extraordinary one where they had killed four people at one go and also confessed to killing several others.

"We need to probe further to build an air-tight case. We can't do that without forensic evidence, which is a key element of our justice system," added the officer.

He said it would take at least another a week before police could obtain all the vital information from the relevant departments.

Meanwhile, the men currently detained at the Dang Wangi district police station are expected to be handed over to the Kuala Langat (Banting) district police where several missing persons' reports have been lodged against the suspects.

In a related development, police obtained a week's extension of the remand order to facilitate their investigations against the prime suspect and four others.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/news/general/10371-delay-in-charging-sosilawatis-killers

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Datuk Sosilawati investigations completed next week

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Investigation on the murder of cosmetics milionaire, Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others in Ladang Gadong, Tanjung Sepat, Selangor is now in final stages and expected to be complete next week.

Director of Criminal Investigation Department, Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman, Datuk Seri Mohd. Bakri Mohd. Zinin said police has received sufficient evidence on the admission of suspects, the suspect and the evidence found at the location of the incident.

"Paper on the murder investigation of Datuk Sosilawati, 47, and three others will be submit to the Attorney General for review as soon as it finished next week. Police also deliver whether the eight suspects to be prosecuted or not to the Attorney General's Office to determine," he told reporters in Dang Wangi police headquarters here today.

Special press conference held to brief the media on the development of the police investigation into the case with the cosmetics millionaire lost with her personal assistant, Shamsuddin Kamaruddin, 44; lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abd. Karim, 32, and an officer of CIMB Bank, Noorhisham Mohamad, 38, since August 30.

Sosila loss with three individuals, however, get loose when the police arrested eight suspects, including a lawyer called "Datuk" believed the main mastermind of the four murder them.

Follow-up admission of suspects, police operations searching for evidence of materials around several rivers in Ladang Gadong trusted location ashes disposed of all the victims.

The result of that, police found a variety of exhibits, including bone fragments, the three victims, used watches, mobile phone model 'BlackBerry' that's believed to Sosilawati and some other goods.

Mohd. Bakri told, the remand of five of the eight suspects that ended yesterday was extended for seven days until 23 September.

He said three other suspects remand period ended on this day will also be extended.

"We had to extend the period of remand to the eight suspects in the investigation to produce fresh leads. Nevertheless, the inquiry is expected to end next week and we will submit the investigation paper to the Attorney General," he said.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6790402-datuk-sosilawati-investigations-completed-next-week

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Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya Dibunuh Sosilawati's Family Still Hopeful

OR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 12, 2010 – The family members of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, 47, accepted her death as "fated" if it is indeed true that she has been murdered along with three others.

Sosilawati's eldest daughter Erni Dekritawati Yuliana Buhari, 25, said they would performed prayers for Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya but said that they were still hopeful that the forensic report would confirmed otherwise.

Police today said they had arrested eight people in connection with the case and that the suspects admitted to killing the four at Ladang Gadong, Tanjong Sepat and burned their bodies and the ashes strewn at a river nearby.

"I thank all for the prayers for my mother and the three others," she told reporters at Sosilawati's home in Taman Harmonis, Gombak, here.

Also present was Sosilawati's ex-husband known only as Buhari.

Sosilawati's fourth daughter, Rina, said she would want to see for herself her mother's remains.

"If it is true that my mother is gone, show us the body," she said.

The family had been following the development of the case and watched the news conference by Bukit Aman CID chief Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin about the murder.

Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, her driver Kamaruddin Shamsudin, 44, CIMB Kampung Baru officer Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and her lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32, went missing on Aug 30 after going to Banting for a land purchase deal.

Meanwhile, former vocalist of the rock group Lefthanded, Nashrudin Elias or Nash, who was Sosilawati's ex-husband, said if the murder was indeed true, he could not understand how human being could commit such cruelties.

"This should not happen, not in our peaceful country," he told Bernama when contacted.

Nash, who was now in Sabah, said he tried to contact Sosilawati's children but his phone calls were not answered.

He added that although his marriage with Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya did not last, "we harboured no ill-feelings."

He also conveyed his condolences to Sosilawati's family and those of the other three victims.

Meanwhile, the family members of bank officer Noorhisham believed he was still alive.

"I'm still waiting for the forensic report. Until then, I believe my son-in-law is still alive," Radin Pangat Ishak, 66, told reporters in Ampang here.

He said Noorhisham was a dedicated officer.

http://www.prlog.org/10924725-datuk-sosilawati-lawiya-dibunuh-sosilawatis-family-still-hopeful.html

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