FOREIGN WORKER HELD IN MURDER PROBE

Foreign worker held in murder probe

TUARAN 13th March, 2012: Police have detained a Filipino man in connection with the killing of his supervisor.

The suspect, 43, was arrested at nearby Pulau Malipan where he was hiding after the incident, when he attempted to leave the island at about 7am yesterday.

“We have solved this murder case within 24 hours with the arrest of the suspect, said district police chief DSP Zaharudin Rasip.

The suspect was an employee of a fish and prawn breeding farm in Kampung Lok Batik here.

Zaharuddin said they immediately launched a manhunt after the body of the farm’s supervisor, Stanley John, 27, was found with multiple slash wounds at about 7.45am on Sunday.

Police also recovered a machete believed to be the weapon used to attack Stanley at the farm.

Initial police investigation showed that the suspect attacked Stanley after a misunderstanding between them.

To a question, he said they rushed to the island after receiving a public tip-off from villagers who saw a man believed to be the suspect, swimming to the island.

Zaharuddin said the suspect had initially fled to a mangrove swamp after the incident.

Meanwhile, he said local fishermen from Kampung Kerayong and Kampung Lentuong provided nine boats to the police and Rela personnel to get to the island.

“We had kept surveillance at the island throughout the night and when the suspect appeared and tried to leave the island, we immediately nabbed him,” he added.

The suspect, who is married with three children, possesses a valid passport and has been working at the farm for the past eight years.

“I wish to commend the fishermen from the two villages for helping us,” he said.