Navotas cops search key witness in Japanese murder

MANILA, Philippines - Police are searching for the woman they considered as the key in solving the murder of a vacationing Japanese national last month in Navotas City.

Chief Inspector Michael Angelo Zunega, Navotas City police intelligence and investigation chief, said the night that Katsuki Ohga, 45, was found dead with a bullet wound in the head at the corner of Santillan and M. Naval streets in Barangay San Jose, he was seen walking in the area with a “young and pretty lady.”

“Earlier that night, that same woman was also seen accompanying the victim at a night spot in Malabon. She could be our vital witness in the crime but she never coordinated with us,” Zunega told The STAR. Zunega said the woman could have known other persons the victim had met before he was murdered.

Ohga arrived in the country July 12 to visit his Filipina wife Ma. Aiko Santos, a resident of Pandi, Bulacan, Zunega said. On July 18, at around 12:45 a.m., Ohga was found dead in Barangay San Jose, Navotas City. He sustained a gunshot wound in the right temple from a .45 caliber pistol.

Northern Police District-Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), led by Chief Inspector Estella Ebuen, recovered near the victim’s body a spent shell for a .45 caliber pistol and Ohga’s wallet, his cell phone and passport.

Zunega said the victim’s mobile phone contains valuable information “but I still need to bring it to the SOCO for forensic examination. We could not understand the text messages for they are written in Japanese characters. It also contains the photo of our key witness, the unidentified woman,” Zunega said.

Zunega said they are looking into two possibilities in Ohga’s killing—business rivalry or insurance benefit. The local police are coordinating with the Japanese embassy but after almost a month their investigation is yet to gain headway.         – Pete Laude