Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.

Dismiss

Norjan’s killer nabbed

51 views

Skip to first unread message

fairplay

unread,

Feb 13, 2004, 11:22:23 PM2/13/04

Norjan’s killer nabbed

By Joniston Bangkuai

Police have arrested an Indonesian who has confessed to Wednesday’s
murder of Sabah’s assistant minister Datuk Norjan Khan Bahadar. The
motive, police say, was robbery.

The 27-year-old man, who had a previous homicide conviction, was picked
up close to midnight yesterday, just as he was preparing to flee to
Indonesia.

State Commissioner of Police Datuk Iliyas Ibrahim said valuables
belonging to Norjan, who was Assistant Minister of Rural and
Entreprenurial Development, were found on the suspect.

Yesterday, police suspected that the murder was committed out of revenge
and jealousy owing to the viciousness of the slaying. They had initially
believed that none of Norjan's valuables had been taken.

Police said they received a tip-off on the suspect's whereabouts after
his photograph was shown on television.

A police party arrested the man at his relative's house in Tawau where
he was hiding. On interrogation, the man admitted to robbing and
murdering Norjan. The man was this afternoon flown here under heavy escort.

Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Bakri Omar said he was proud that
police had solved the high-profile case swiftly.

Norjan's brother Ghulan Khan heaved a sigh of relief as investigations
had been concluded with the arrest of the suspect.

The Indonesian had been sentenced to four years' jail in 1999 for
culpable homicide, and after his release, was deported to Indonesia. He
slipped back into the State last year, and using a forged identity card,
secured a job as a waiter at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bandaran Berjaya
eight months ago, Iliyas said.

Norjan was found dead in a room at the Shangri-La Hotel on Wednesday
morning with her head bludgeoned and her neck slashed. Police had
detained three others earlier for questioning and were looking for the
Indonesian, who uses the name Azman in his forged identity card.

Iliyas said police found RM1,450 in cash, a watch, handphone and
jewellery, including pendants, bangles and a necklace, which belonged to
Norjan.

He said police had now determined that the suspect, a waiter at the
hotel, had delivered a pot of water and milk to Norjan's room at about
4am on Wednesday. He returned to the room later with her change and then
attacked her with an ice pick and then stole her valuables.

The man stayed on at the hotel, completing his shift at 7am before
checking into a hotel here. After the body was discovered around 9am and
the news hit the streets, the man checked out of the hotel at 5pm and
checked into another in Tuaran, about 45km from here.

He chartered a car to take him to Tawau at noon the next day and arrived
there at 8.30pm.

"We arrested him in the nick of time as we believe he was preparing to
escape to his country," Iliyas said.

Police would charge the man soon, Iliyas said, adding that the other
three detained earlier would be released once their statements had been
recorded.

0 new messages