Hotel homicide in Manaung Twsp remains unsolved

By DMG 23 Mar 2022

DMG Newsroom
23 March 2022, Manaung

Family members of a hotel staffer who was murdered in Arakan State’s Manaung Township last month have filed complaints with the crime department and police headquarters in Naypyidaw, expressing dissatisfaction with the ongoing investigation.

Ko Min Htet Wai, 21, who worked as a cook at a hotel in Manaung’s Kaei village, went missing on February 2, and was found dead three days later, his body discovered floating in a reservoir on the hotel premises with apparent stab wounds.

Following a post-mortem, police opened a murder case and interrogated multiple suspects.

The victim’s family members decided to bring the matter to higher-level authorities as there was no progress more than one month into the investigation, according to the victim’s relative U Kyaw Than, who is also a former lawmaker for Manaung Township.

“We are not satisfied with the way police are handling the case. So, we have filed complaints with higher-ups,” he said. “Family members are not happy that there are differences between autopsy reports from the doctor and the police.”

U Kyaw Yin Oo, another family member of the deceased, said: “The autopsy report from the doctor did not mention drowning as a possible cause of death. It says his liver was swollen and the stab wound in his neck was 0.1 inch deep.”

DMG was unable to obtain comment from the chief of the concerned police station regarding the investigation.

Police briefly detained a hotel security guard and the victim’s roommate, but later released them as there was no evidence against them, according to the victim’s relatives.

The new hotel had only opened in late January, and has been temporarily shuttered since the murder, according to local residents.