Tapah murder suspects to be remanded under Poca

IPOH - A father and son, suspected to be involved in the murder of four people at their house-cum-workshop at Jalan Pahang, Tapah, were freed today as the identities of the victims could not be determined.

However, the 57-year-old man and his 20-year-old son, the main suspects, were rearrested under Section 3(1) of the Prevention of Crime (Poca) Act 1959 Amended 2012 after their seven-day remand expired today.

Perak CID chief SAC Datuk Goh Kok Liang said they would be remanded for 21 days from tomorrow to facilitate investigation under Poca.

"Earlier, the head of the state's prosecution unit advised us to release them as the victims could not be identified.

"The chemist's report could not trace the DNA from the bone fragments and other items sent for analysis," he added.

Goh also said the prosecution unit asked police to continue the investigation to gather more information on the case.

On Dec 2, police released the 54-year-old wife and the couple's 17-year-old son on the advice of the head of the prosecution unit due to lack of evidence to link them to the murder.

All four family members had been arrested in connection with the murder of a mechanic, 36, at the workshop; a palm oil plantation contractor-cum-land broker, 46; a vehicle spare parts salesman, 54; and a woman tour bus operator, 56.

The victims were said to have been killed at the house-cum-workshop and their bodies burnt before their ashes were thrown into a nearby river.

The victims went missing in 2012, 2014 and this year.