By HTUN KHAING & OLIVER SLOW | FRONTIER
A BRITISH teacher being sought by Yangon police in relation to the death of his colleague in the early hours of November 5 has fled the country, authorities have said.
Police said the victim, named by the government as 47-year-old Briton Mr Peter Gary Ferguson, was found dead at an apartment belonging to his compatriot and colleague, Mr Harris Binotti, 25, on downtown Yangon’s 39th Street.
Police said the pair, who worked at Horizon International School, had been drinking together on the night of November 4.
Police Captain Toe Myoe, from Kyauktada Police Station, told Frontier on November 7 that Binotti was the only suspect in the case.
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“The autopsy process started on November 7 and we are waiting for a report from the doctor. That’s all I can answer,” he said.
Pol Cap Toe Myoe said that Binotti had flown to Bangkok on the evening of November 5. His movements from there remain unknown.
According to a written statement seen by Frontier, Ferguson’s wife and the girlfriend of Binotti went together to Binotti’s apartment on November 6, where Ferguson’s body was found with injuries to his head and chest. Frontier could not independently confirm the accuracy of the statement.
“The girlfriend of the suspect has cooperated with the police, and we have reported to the higher ranked officers to find the suspect,” Pol Cap Toe Myoe said.
A Yangon-based expat, who spoke to Frontier on condition of anonymity, said he had been drinking with the pair and other friends at a Yangon apartment on the night of November 4, but that he had not noticed anything unusual.
Neighbour Daw Myint Myint, who lives on the ground floor of the building where the body was found, told AFP she had heard people arguing early on November 5.
“I heard their cries, saying: ‘Go, go.’ But I can’t understand the rest as it was in English. I heard them throwing things. I think it happened around 4am. Then they become silent,” she was quoted as saying.
“We are providing help and support to the family of a British national following a death and are in touch with local authorities,” a British embassy spokesperson told Frontier.
Representatives from Horizon International School, which has two campuses in Yangon, could not be reached for comment.
