By NYAN HLAING LYNN | FRONTIER
NAY PYI TAW — More suspects have been detained in the joint military-police investigation into the killing of prominent lawyer U Ko Ni on January 29, but the government is refusing to release more details for the time being.
Speaking to reporters in Nay Pyi Taw on Monday, U Zaw Htay, deputy director general of the President’s Office, said details about the suspects, or how many had been arrested, was not being immediately released in case the information compromised the investigation.
“We haven’t issued a press release about it for the time being because if we said who is being detained and what has been seized, all the links … could be lost,” he said, adding that a press release would be issued in the near future.
He refused to confirm rumours that U Aung Win Zaw, who was arrested in Kayin State on January 30 in connection with the killing, was a former military official.
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U Kyi Lin, seen in photographs pointing a gun to Ko Ni’s head, is the only other suspect that has been publicly named.
Ko Ni, an adviser to the National League for Democracy government, was shot dead at Yangon International Airport after returning from a trip abroad.
Zaw Htay said a military-police taskforce had been established to investigate the brazen killing because it was “very important”.
A statement released by the President’s Office on February 3 urged the public to remain vigilant against any suspicious behaviour and to be aware of any individuals attempting to use the situation to instigate religious tensions.
