The recent murder of three Sri Lankan nationals in Sentul, Malaysia have been attributed by Malaysian authorities to money-related issues.
Kuala Lumpur police chief, Allaudeen Abdul Majid has confirmed that the case has been solved, with police being instructed to charge four suspects with murder. The bodies showed no signs of torture or abuse, “We can safely say it is about money… debt, money, payment, and so on,” Allaudeen said.
According to Allaudeen, four people had been detained in Petaling Jaya. The individuals, three Sri Lankan men and a Pakistani man, have been arrested on suspicion of harbouring the two prime suspects. The four men have been released and may act as witnesses in a potential trial.
The five-room house was rented by a Sri Lankan couple in their 40s, their son who was in his 20s, and two other Sri Lankan nationals, aged between 20 and 30. It has been confirmed by police that the three deceased are the tenants and the son. The parents were not present at the time of the incident.
It is believed by police that there was a fight involving the two tenants.
On the same day as the murder (Sept 22), eight people had been detained by police to assist in investigations into the killing. The group was comprised of the two prime suspects and the parents. The father later died in custody on Sept 30.
According to Allaudeen, “the investigation into the detainee’s death has also been handed over to the criminal investigation unit on deaths in custody under the Bukit Aman integrity and standards compliance department.”. It was also added that the father’s death would not affect the case, as investigation papers were almost complete.
The sound of screams, believed to be from a fight, were heard on Sept 22. This led to the discovery of the stacked bodies, belonging to three Sri Lankan men, at the home’s storeroom. Their heads were covered in plastic, with hands and feet bound.
Allaudeen had previously quoted that a phone call was made to police by members of the public at around 11pm, informing them of a commotion coming from a four-storey shop house. Following the discovery of the bodies, police arrested the Sri Lankan couple who rented the house.
