Mystery continues to surround the brutal killing of Sri Lankan billionaire and Managing Director of OPEX Holdings, Onesh Subasinghe. Forty five-year-old Subasinghe was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a serviced apartment in Jakarta, Indonesia on February 3.
While the Indonesian Police have commenced investigations into his death, they believe his wife and her assistant may have been involved in his killing. Currently, the duo have fled Indonesia and headed to Doha, taking with them Onesh’s four-year-old daughter. Whether they then flew to another country or their home country of Brazil, remains unknown.
Plot
Though the matter has not generated much interest in Indonesia, IGP C.D Wickremaratne on February 9 ordered the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) to conduct an inquiry into his death. According to the IGP, the investigation was ordered based on the possibility that the plot to murder the businessman may have been hatched in Sri Lanka, even though the plan was carried out in Indonesia.
Accordingly, a team of investigators led by Director CID SSP Kavinda Piyasekara has now been appointed to carry out an investigation with the assistance of the Interpol and Indonesian law enforcement. Police insiders claim it is likely that a team from the CID will also leave for Indonesia shortly as a part of its investigation.
Brazil
As per the information received to date, it appears the murder of Subasinghe took place on February 2 or a near date and his body was discovered by the Indonesian Police on February 3 inside the serviced apartment shared by his wife, daughter and an unidentified woman believed to be a friend or assistant of his wife.
According to sources, Subasinghe’s current wife is his third, and a Brazilian national. Subasinghe had met her during a trip to Brazil at a restaurant. Identified as Rosalia Cardoza Silva, Subasinghe had married her at a lavish ceremony held in Sri Lanka after a brief relationship. Their daughter, Alisha was studying at a leading international school when this incident took place. The family had even celebrated her birthday on a grand scale recently before leaving for Indonesia.
While Subasinghe was the owner of a company distributing chemical fertiliser, he was also an investor in a large number of companies. Subasinghe graduated from Cornell University in 2003 with a degree in Applied Economics and Management.
His relatives claim Subasinghe along with his family, and a friend or assistant of his wife had left Sri Lanka on a tour of Indonesia on January 20.
The friend has also been identified as a Brazilian national. Having arrived in Sri Lanka from Brazil on an invitation extended by Rosa, the woman had been living with the Subasinghe family in Colombo. It is said Subasinghe paid her US$ 3000 per month as a salary for assisting Rosa. They say she would accompany Rosa almost everywhere and would even share a room. The nature of their relationship remains unclear.
Request
Those close to the family said the Indonesia trip was also organised due to the wife’s request and Subasinghe had spent most of his time looking into his business over Whatsapp. He had been in constant touch with his secretary and issued directions to his subordinates.
However, on February 2, he failed to contact his secretary and despite her repeated attempts to reach him, she was unable to get through to Subasinghe. She then informed his family of this unusual occurrence. As they too failed to get in touch with Subasinghe, they, in turn, contacted the management of the serviced apartment the Subasinghes were staying.
Despite the visible ‘Do not disturb’ sign on the door, the staff had let themselves into the locked apartment only to find Subasinghe dead.
The Police in Jakarta began investigations after being alerted by the management. The initial investigations show Subasinghe’s death had occurred due to foul play and not natural causes. How his death occurred however has not been publicised yet.
On February 2, following his death, his wife Rosa and the other woman had left the apartment along with Alisha and all their belongings. The duo were seen on CCTV putting up the do not disturb sign on the door.
While the intention behind the killing is also unclear, their escape appears to have been pre-planned as the tickets to Doha on the day had been booked previously proving his death was not an accident and it is likely Subasinghe was taken to Indonesia to meet his untimely demise.