News of arrest in Malaita not confirmed
A police team are in Malaita hunting down those they believed are responsible for the Easter-double murder in Honiara.
Mutilated bodies of Chinese couple Gongzen Lao and his wife Yuegu were found inside their shop at Town Ground on 17 April 2017.
Earlier police seized the car believed to have been used by the killers on the night of the killing.
A police team are now in Malaita looking for the suspects.
Social media speculations yesterday claimed police have arrested one person.
But a spokesman from the Police Media Unit told the Sunday Star yesterday they are yet to hear from the team on the ground.
“There was no confirmation of the arrest,” police media officer sergeant Johnson Tautai said.
Those close to the case said the breakthrough came after investigators cracked opened the password of the CCTV camera placed inside the building the killing took place.
“The CCTV recording had everything the police are looking for,” one source said.
“It would be only a matter of time before we see the first arrest,” the source added.
More than a week ago, police commissioner Matthew Varley told the media police have a number of ‘persons of interest’ in this case.
He said these are people who may be able to provide police with information about the investigation.
The police chief said since the killing, they are set up a taskforce within the National Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) to investigate the case.
“We are working very hard around the clock.
“At this stage, we are combing all of the forensic evidence; we are examining CCTV information and also follow up on a number of lines of inquiry generated by information provided by the public.”
The Chinese couple, who were naturalised citizens, were buried at the Kola’a Ridge cemetery on May 1.
By LESLEY SANGA