Shooting of top banker likely linked to property deal

KUALA LUMPUR: Police believe the assassination of Hussain Ahmad Najadi, the former Arab-Malaysia Development Bank managing director, was related to real estate deals gone awry.

In a press conference at the city police contingent headquarters yesterday, city police chief Datuk Mohmad Salleh said police were recording statements from seven people who witnessed the incident. They include the man who was with Hussain, 75, before he left the temple.

"We will call in the the deceased's client, whom he had met just before the shooting, to have his statement recorded.

"We are in the midst of identifying the suspects. We have obtained several still photos from the closed-circuit television camera footages and there's a clear picture of the gunman.

"They were not wearing masks and we believe they were hired.

"Initial investigations also revealed that the shooting was linked to the buying and selling of a property involving the victim."

Mohmad urged the public not to speculate on the case.

"Although the leads we got led to the motive, we have yet to ascertain who was responsible for hiring Hussain's assailants.

"So, please give us room to investigate. We are confident that we will be able to complete our investigation soon."

On Hussain's wife, Cheong Mei Kuen, Mohmad said the 49-year-old was in a stable condition and had been transferred to Prince Court Hospital from Tung Shin Hospital. She was transferred to Kuala Lumpur Hospital yesterday.

The Bahraini, who holds an Iranian passport, and Cheong were walking out of the Lorong Ceylon Kuan Yin Chinese temple when a man, said to be wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt and a helmet, walked up to him from behind and fired multiple shots at Hussain from close range on Monday afternoon.

Hussain, the first managing director and chief executive officer of Arab-Malaysian Development Bank, was shot dead in an open car park in Lorong Ceylon in the 2pm incident.

He was shot in the left rib cage, chest and stomach while his wife was shot in the left wrist and right thigh.

A family member had told the New Straits Times that the victim was involved in a long-standing dispute involving a piece of land.

Last night, Hussain was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim Cemetery.

His wife, who was present, said Hussain was one of the most optimistic and loving man she had ever met in her life.