Cops urged to show proof 2 brothers were hired assassins

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(From left) Melissa, Yap and Mulok at the press conference.

(From left) Melissa, Yap and Mulok at the press conference.

SIBU: Confusion and doubts have arisen after police from Kuching shot dead two brothers here, whom they claimed were hired assassins involved in six murders and one attempted murder.

Joshua Beti Chong, 44, and Awie Ningan, 36, were shot dead at 1.30am on Feb 21, and at a press conference that morning, state CID chief SAC Dev Kumar branded them as hired killers and nailed them to seven cases.

A brother of the slain men, Mulok Jingan, and his wife, Melissa Malaya Mandi, yesterday called a press conference to cast doubts on police’s findings without furnishing evidence.

“The two brothers have died. The police must ensure justice and behold the truth when they branded them as hired killers in six murders and an attempted murder. Our family members are doubtful because of the seven cases, Joshua was serving his sentence in Sibu Prison in three cases.”

The couple said the three doubtful cases occurred from Nov 3, 2012, to Aug 18, 2014.

“Joshua was arrested on Sept 7, 2012. He was not bailed out and remained in detention until he was convicted in August 2013. He then started serving his jail sentence until May 7, 2015. During this period, he was all the while in jail.”

The couple said the police branded Joshua and Awie as hired killers in the following doubtful cases:

A woman was shot dead at noon on Nov 3, 2012, at a cafe in Pahlawan Road in Sibu.

A man was killed in Penampang, Sabah, after he was shot at 10pm on Aug 3, 2013.

A man was nearly killed when he was shot on Aug 18, 2014, at noon in a cafe at Pahlawan Road.

“Of the three, it is most absurd Joshua could be in Sabah to kill while in Sibu Prison. There was no record of a jail break.”

For Awie, the couple said he spent most of his time in the village, and he had no criminal record.

“The family are suffering anxiety and in shock. We want the truth, and we reserve the right to resort legal means for justice.”

They said Awie and Joshua were last seen on Feb 20 this year, at 5.30pm, adding that police said they were killed eight hours later at 1.30am on Feb 21.

Melissa said she was a laundry worker in Sarikei Hospital and Awie’s wife Terinsa Jagan was a cook in the same hospital.

“Awie and Joshua picked up Terinsa at work at 5.30pm. That was the last time I saw the three. They left, but half an hour later, family members made several calls, but failed to reach them all.”

Melissa said they started calling them at 6pm because the father of the two brothers wanted to return to their longhouse in their car.

Mulok and Melissa said after the three left in their car from Sarikei Hospital, another unexplained incident had happened – Terinsa went missing.

The couple said they had deployed all means to look for her, but all attempts were futile.

“A report on her missing was lodged on Feb 21 in Sarikei. The family is now asking where was Terinsa when the two brothers were killed? The three were together at 5.30pm.”

Meanwhile, Mulok and Melissa, who share a handphone, received a text message from a stranger on Saturday, asking them to seal their lips regarding the series of incidents that began with the killing of the brothers.

The message said their family members would be harmed if they did not.

“The serial incidents from the killing of the brothers, the branding them as hired killers, the missing of Terinsa, and the text message, have ended in a whirlpool of doubts. We have lodged a report on the text message. We want the police to protect us, too.”

Also present at the press conference yesterday was Dudong assemblyman Yap Hoi Liong.

Yap said the string of incidents was of public interest.

“Sarawak police must explain. They must produce evidence that the brothers were hired killers in the seven cases. They must explain how Joshua had been hired to kill in Sabah when he was in jail in Sibu.”

Yap, who is also a lawyer, assured the family of Mulok and Melissa that they had the right to seek justice by legal means if the police did not produce evidence to nail the brothers to the seven crimes.

The assemblyman also called police to protect Mulok and Melissa, adding that the couple had suffered fear of harm for speaking out, especially after they had received the threatening text message.