CID chief: Sosilawati and 3 others killed and burnt (Updated)
By Edward R. Henry

BANTING: Cosmetic millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, 47, and three others were murdered, burnt and their ashes strewn in a river near Ladang Gadong, in Tanjong Sepat, here.

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin told reporters that the police were awaiting forensic confirmation.

He said that two lawyer brothers, one of them a Datuk, were among the eight arrested in connection with the murder.

The two brothers are 41 and 38 years old, respectively.

The elder brother, who is the Datuk, is also now being investigated in connection to four other cases of missing businessmen from Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Bakri said.

The Datuk, who owns the farm where the bodies were burnt, was handling a land deal in Penang for Sosilawati.

It is learnt that that the land in Penang was bought for RM25mil and was to have been resold at RM200mil.

Sosilawati's siblings are in Banting to help police with the DNA confirmation of her death.

Sosilawati went missing on Aug 30 along with her driver Kamarudin Shansudin, 44, her lawyer Ahmad Kamil Karim, 32, and her financial adviser Noorhisham Mohammad, 38.

Bernama reported that the police forensic team was combing the farm area where some of Sosilawati's personal belongings were reported to have been found. Police had also blocked access to the Gadong Farm in Jalan Gadong, Tanjong Sepat, near here from last night and have not allowed the media access to the area.

Meanwhile, Bernama also reported from BATU PAHAT, that news of Sosilawati’s death had shocked residents of the village of her birth, Kampung Seri Menanti, Sri Medan, near here.

Her death was seen as a big loss as Sosilawati was known for her kind and charitable ways.

"This is a big loss as she always assisted anyone in need, for example, flood victims or schools," said village headman, Omar Salleh.

The villagers, he said, had already planned a solat hajat to pray for her wellbeing and safe return.

Omar, 63, also described Sosilawati as an approachable person and described what happened to her as being the will of god.

Bazli Ibrahim, 35, who shared in the sorrow of her tragic demise said she always had an open house on the second day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri for the villagers.

Another resident, Siti Aminah Md. Mukri, 27, when met said Sosilawati's determination in building the Nouvelles Visage cosmetics empire made her a source of admiration among the residents.

She also praised her noble character, saying Sosilawati was never proud despite her success.

A visit to the home of Sosilawati's mother, Yatimi Abdul Rahman, 80 at the village found it all locked up.

It is understood Yatimi and other family members had already left for Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Two lawyer brothers are the prime suspects in the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others whose bodies were burnt and their ashes strewn in a river near Ladang Gadong, in Tanjong Sepat.

Picture shows the man believed to be the mastermind being led away by police.

Shady duo who put up a generous front

Monday September 13, 2010

KUALA LANGAT: The mastermind said to be behind the murder of cosmetics millionaire Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others is an infamous figure being investigated by police for land fraud and cheating.

Both the man and his brother are from humble beginnings. After graduating with law degrees, they opened a practice, where one of the brothers soon became an active member of the community.

They are known for their show of philanthropy with frequent donations of food and clothing to the poor.

The brothers, who specialise in land deals, had also developed a reputation for “unsavoury tactics” during their negotiations.

“Their methods were frowned upon and most lawyers kept their distance from them,” said a source.

The two, who were suspended from practising law for a year for alleged involvement in land scams, are known to have expensive tastes, being seen driving luxury cars.

Crime scene: The farm where the murders might have been committed.

It is understood that the elder brother, who received a Datukship a year ago, is being investigated by the Commercial Crimes Investigations Department (CCID) in Penang and Bukit Aman for land fraud and cheating cases involving millions of ringgit.

Sources familiar with the case said he had attempted to cheat a businessman of more than a million ringgit over three parcels of land.

“The businessman was shown a power of attorney letter by the lawyer, who collected a RM1mil deposit pending transfer of the land title.

A forensics police officer collecting bone fragments near Banting Sunday.

“When the businessman later did a search, he was shocked to find that the land had already been sold,” they said.

The sources said police were checking if Sosilawati had engaged one of the brothers in a land deal and if she could have wanted her money back after learning about the alleged fraud because there was talk that she had gone to see him in Banting on the same matter.

Federal CCID deputy director Deputy Comm Datuk Noryah Md Anvar confirmed that the brothers were under investigation.

An estate worker said he had sometimes seen luxury cars entering and leaving the farm near where the ashes of the victims were supposedly found.

“However, no one really knows what goes on there as the gates are always closed,” he said.

Another resident, who only wanted to be known as Rajes, 30, said one the brothers was the man “you go to see if you need help with something outside the boundaries of the law.”

“Everyone knows that he is connected with certain types of people,” he said, adding that it was rumoured among locals that people who crossed the brothers would mysteriously disappear.