‘I shot and killed Aleong’

THE man who was found hanging in the cell at the Central Police Station on Saturday, confessed to police on Thursday that he fired the fatal shot from an automatic pistol, which ended the life of Petit Valley businessman Christopher Aleong on the morning of December 2 last year. Yesterday, Director of Public Prosecutions Geoffrey Henderson gave instructions to the police to lay a charge of murder against a 33-year-old PH driver of Belmont for Aleong’s murder. The charge was laid by Sgt Stephen Ramsubhag of the Four Roads Police Station. The murder accused will appear before a Port-of-Spain magistrate today.

Michael Rodriguez, 42, the key suspect in the killing of Aleong, was arrested on Wednesday night at his Petunia Avenue, Morvant home by officers of the Western Division Police. He was handed over to homicide officers on Thursday and gave a written confession statement to Sgt Ramsubhag about the events of December 2 last year. In the statement, Rodriguez claimed that a PH driver was hired to transport him and another gunman outside the Petit Valley home of Aleong on the day to carry out a kidnapping. He also claimed that the plan was to kidnap Aleong and take him to a shack in a forested area at Patna Village, Diego Martin. The plan was hatched by him and four others who belong to a Muslim organisation.

A $10 million ransom was supposed to have been demanded for the safe release of Aleong who at the time of his death owned Kam Wah Restaurant, Mac Foods and Albrosco Limited. Rodriguez also admitted that on the morning of December 2, he and another man went to Hibiscus Drive, Petit Valley, where they tried to abduct Aleong as he was driving out of his gargage. He claimed that the kidnap plan was foiled when Aleong used his gun to fire at him and the accomplice. He returned fire which struck Aleong in the chest killing him instantly. When Aleong slumped in the car, he and the accomplice panicked and fled the scene without taking anything. Newsday learned that homicide officers led by Snr Supt Dyo Mohammed were able to make a breakthrough in the murder investigation because of a confession statement by a man who implicated several persons in the murder.

All the suspects were held on Wednesday night. They were placed at different police stations where they were interviewed by homicide officers. Rodriguez knew that he was about to be charged with murder. Around 8 am on Saturday, he was last seen alive at the cell of the Central Police Station. He reportedly asked a police officer for a cigarette but was refused. A prisoner who was in a cell next to where Rodriguez was kept saw him hanging around 8.35 am and alerted police officers.