Chinese man, helper found dead in Madagascar, murder suspected

Email|Print|Comments       twitter     facebook     Sina Microblog     reddit    

ANTANANARIVO, Sept. 12 -- A Chinese man and his Malagasy assistant had been found dead, the Chinese Embassy said Thursday, with police treating it as a murder case.

They were found in a lake on the outskirts of Madagascar's capital Antananarivo on Wednesday, according to local police.

"They were tortured with hard objects and then cast into the lake, but we found no trace of sharp objects or firearms on their bodies," a Talatamaty police spokesperson told Xinhua by telephone.

"The hands and feet of two people were tied together while their heads were wrapped in plastic bags," the spokesperson said. "Their eyes, their mouths and their feet were sellotaped, and they were still dressed."

The police said the victims were killed around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday local time and the body of the Chinese was being kept at a public hospital.

The Chinese, 37, was the owner of a stone-collecting company and the 50-year-old Malagasy worked as his translator, driver and bodyguard, the police said.

Police suspect the murder is linked to the Chinese man's business because about 2,000 U.S. dollars had been stolen from his house. An investigation was underway to determine the motive and identify the murderers.

• Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar presents credential letter
• Innocent after 17 years in jail over wife's death
• 86,000 children work in mines in southwestern Madagascar

We Recommend

• DPRK holds military parade to mark 65th founding anniv.
• Highlights of MAKS 2013 Int'l Aviation and Space Show
• 10th China-ASEAN Expo opens in Nanning
• Eagle Boy takes to sky to break another record
• 12-year-old boy becomes pillar of the family
• Eye-gouged boy receives blind rehabilitation in Shanxi
• Top 10 naked hotels in the world
• The most gorgeous Chinese women in the eyes of foreigners
• A collection of bizarre rooftop buildings around China