Blood Lust (11 page)

A few days later, Ang brought up the subject
again at his house. “He told me he had a plan. Since the gold was smuggled, why
not fake a robbery? He told me he could arrange for a few of his men to have me
tied up and beaten to show evidence of violence. He would take the gold and
have me report the robbery to Ngo. I told him it was a crazy idea since I’d had
a very bad accident a few months earlier. I told him to forget the idea as it
would probably cause my own death.”

A week later Augustine mentioned the matter
again. They were at the Chous’ home. This time Ang told him he had thought of a
better plan. They would waylay Ngo on his way to deliver the gold and rob him.
Andrew said he did not agree to the plan because ‘the idea of stopping two cars
on the road and robbing them of their gold is sure to end up in violence’.

Subsequently, Augustine pestered him a
number of times and finally he agreed. “In the early part of November 1971,
Augustine Ang suggested to me again the idea of robbing Ngo. This time he told
me how we could rob Ngo without violence. He told me the plan was simply to let
Ngo deliver the gold to my house and, at my house, to catch Ngo, tie him up and
keep him in some place. Meanwhile Ang would sell the gold, not leave any
evidence of the gold about. After selling the gold he would release Ngo. I told
Augustine that I would be the first person Ngo would come looking for. Ang
assured me that the police would never be involved. There would never be any
violence on Ngo, Ang assured me. He said that since all the gold transactions
were smuggling activities he was confident that Ngo would not report the matter
to the police. He also told me that since the gold was smuggled Ngo himself
would come and look for me. He told me at this point that we would tell Ngo
that the gold had been stolen. Then we could start negotiations for its return
with Ngo. Augustine convinced me. We could negotiate to retain a certain amount
of the proceeds of the sale of the gold. Ang felt that Ngo, being caught in a
situation like this, being a businessman, would negotiate for the best he could
get out of a bad situation. I asked him if he had considered Ngo’s reactions,
such as Ngo getting gangsters to come and beat me up. Ang said if Ngo did that
he would have his own gangster connection ready to confront Ngo. Ang felt that
comparing Ngo’s financial position and ours that Ngo would have more to lose if
the situation gets out of hand. This time I agreed to go along with Augustine’s
plan. I thought it was a good idea ... I told him I would leave everything to
him. I would trust him. Ang said he would get his men to assist in the robbery.
He said he would probably get his friends who had helped me recover the lost
money.”

Andrew’s account of the Hari Raya Puasa trip
to Changi was that while the others were talking in Chinese he went for a
lonely walk along the beach. On the way back to the house, Ang said softly to
him: “It has been arranged.” When he asked for further details Ang put his hand
up indicating that he should wait. A few days later (between the 20 and 23
November), Andrew told David of the plan to rob Ngo. About three days later,
Ang brought Peter, Alex, Stephen Lee, Fernando Lee and Anchor to his house and
they went into the living room. Peter, Alex and Stephen went to the porch.
Fernando told Andrew that Fernando and Anchor would help in the robbery.
Fernando and Anchor wanted more details: when would the next shipment of gold
be, how many people would be delivering it? Andrew told Fernando Lee that he
could not be precise about these things, but he would inform Ang when he knew
about the next delivery, and Ang would pass the information to them. David Chou
told Ang to remind them that this was ‘a robbery and nothing more’.

Andrew gave evidence that on one occasion
when Augustine asked him how much the people were to be paid for helping in the
robbery, he had replied that Ang was the boss of this show and whatever he
decided was okay with him.

One day, there was an early delivery of gold
to Chepstow Close. Andrew was not in and Ang took delivery. Ang took one gold
bar and that evening returned with it and told Andrew that he had shown the
gold bar to an interested purchaser who had quoted a price for it. In the witness
box, Andrew said he could not remember the price quoted.

A week after 23 November, Ang told him the
deal with Fernando Lee and Anchor was off as one of them had been arrested in a
gang fight. Early in December, Ang told him that he contacted a new group. He
went along with Ang to the playground off Bras Basah Road just to keep him
company. At the playground he told Ang he was very tired and requested to be
sent home. He got into a station wagon where he fell asleep. The next thing he
knew was that Peter was waking him and telling him they had a flat tyre. They
were near Bedok, though Andrew did not say so in his evidence. They came upon a
house from which they telephoned David to come and collect him. They then
walked to Changi Road and much later David drove up. Andrew said he asked David
to take him home. He fell asleep in the car. The next thing he knew he was at
home. He went straight into the house and went to sleep.

Augustine had given evidence to the effect
that Andrew and the others, in two cars, had gone to Bedok to search for a
suitable place to ‘throw’ the bodies of the three men they intended to kill.

Andrew’s explanation for his damaged hand
was that on 27 December, after his work in the aeroplane had been done, he
tripped and fell while descending from the aeroplane. He did not report the
accident.

Andrew described the events of the fateful
night in detail. On 29 December 1971 he was to go on duty at 6:30
pm
. When he returned home at 5:00
pm
after spending the day in the city,
there was a message asking him to ring up Leong. By that he knew there would
probably be a delivery of gold later that night. He left for work and at the
airport he rang up Ngo’s house at 6:30
pm
.
Ngo told him that ‘they had work that night’. Then Andrew rang up Ang and told
him to be at the house that night as gold would be delivered. Ang said: “Let’s
do the job tonight.”

Andrew said he did not say anything. He left
the airport at about 11:15
pm
and
arrived home at about 11:30
pm
.
“When I got into the living room I saw Augustine and David. They were talking
to each other. David seemed a bit annoyed. I interrupted them and asked
Augustine: ‘What is the latest?’ He said he was going to do the job that night.
I asked him if he was serious and he said he was. He also informed me he had
the boys waiting in the car in the road behind my house. I went into my
bedroom, took off my shirt and came out again. Augustine was in the backyard. I
was in my T-shirt. Augustine showed me some ropes. He was holding them in his
hands. He told me they were to be used for tying up the three men. I took the
ropes from him and put them on the table in the backyard. The table was shifted
to the side. Every evening this dining table is shifted to the side after
dinner so that the backyard can be cleaned up. Augustine asked me if it was
alright to bring in the boys. I told him: ‘Might as well bring them in here.’
The boys were brought into the backyard. I had made a telephone call to Ngo as
soon as I got home. Ngo told me he was sending 120 bars. I don’t know where the
ropes came from. I saw them for the first time that evening. Augustine also
brought three or four small pieces of cloth. It was in a bundle. He gave them
to me. I assumed he brought them as he was holding them. I took the ropes and
the three pieces of cloth and put them under the plastic food cover which was
on the dining table. Augustine told me the pieces of cloth were to be used as
gags. At this stage I told Augustine he might as well bring the boys in.
Augustine left the backyard through the back gate to the back road and returned
with five or six men. The backyard was very dark. Some of the men were Indians.
I could not tell who they were: I recognised Alex and Stephen. I did not know
the rest. ‘Why so many people?’ I asked Augustine, and he told me not to worry
but to leave everything to him. He brought them into the living room. I
switched off the main lights in the living room. Only the lights from the
Christmas tree were on.

Whilst I was in the kitchen I removed the
tray containing all the cutlery and placed the tray on top of a cabinet. I did
this because the tray contained knives. I wanted to make sure that none of
them, including Augustine, could have access to these knives. Augustine
suggested we should hide the boys. I was also afraid that my mother might wake
up. If she did and came out of her bedroom she would see quite a number of
strangers in the living room. We all went into the kitchen again, when David
and I and Augustine went back into the living room where I told Augustine to
help me search their pockets to make sure they carried no knives or weapons. I
searched Augustine and Peter and Augustine searched the others … When I went
into the living room I remember Alex was sitting next to the Christmas tree on
the floor reading a comic. Before the boys finally went into the kitchen I told
Augustine that they must stay there while Augustine and I collected the gold. I
told Augustine that I would make him count the gold that evening. I shut the
door adjoining the kitchen and the living room and Augustine, David and I went
into the backyard. The kitchen door in the backyard was also closed. I told
Augustine that while he was counting the gold that would be the time to catch
Ngo and Leong. At that point Augustine should call the people in the kitchen to
come out and help us. Augustine, David and I were discussing what to do and
David and I reminded him that this was just a robbery and nothing else.
Augustine said he knew everything and to trust him. Augustine had promised
before that night that I would help him in this robbery only if nothing
happened to Ngo and Leong. He had assured me that no harm would come to them.
The discussion was interrupted when sounds of cars were heard. Augustine had
told David to hide behind the chicks in the backyard. It was hung up directly
behind the table on which the fish tanks had been placed. When the sound of
cars was heard David went behind the chicks.

Augustine and I walked to the front gate. We
saw Ngo and Leong removing the gold from their car and placing the bars on the
ground. The Volkswagen was parked at the end of the road.

Augustine and I carried the bags containing
the gold into the backyard. We each made three journeys. Augustine started to
load the bags into the yellow cupboard. As he put the last bag in I said to
Augustine: ‘Count the gold.’ He took the bag from the cupboard and placed it on
the floor. Ngo and Leong were bending down. They looked as if they were going
to help count the bars.

Augustine stood up and kicked Ngo twice in the
groin. I put my left hand over Leong’s mouth to prevent him from shouting. With
my left hand I pulled him down … I placed my right hand across his chest …
David came from behind the chicks, and he did the same to Ngo. I saw Augustine
punching Ngo a few times. David and I were in a sitting position behind Ngo and
Leong. Augustine was holding on to Ngo’s waist, clinging on to him. Ngo was on
the floor. Augustine got up and opened the kitchen door and the boys came out
and helped us. When they had taken over I went to the house to check if the
family had been aroused, but they were still asleep. I put my ear to the
bedroom door, which was shut, and I listened for sounds. I was satisfied they
were still asleep. I returned to the backyard. Before going into the house I
had seen Augustine walking on the path on the side of the house. I also saw
David and some of the boys tying up Ngo and Leong. On my way from the living
room through the kitchen to the backyard I heard a knocking noise. In the
backyard I saw Augustine kneeling beside the third victim. He was holding a
round chopping block and was hitting this man’s head with it. They were on the
path. I told Augustine to stop it, but he kept on hitting the man on the head.
I stretched my right hand over the man’s head. Augustine brought the chopping
block down on my hand. It hurt very badly. I was very angry and I punched
Augustine in the mouth and he fell backwards … Then people came and tied up the
third man. While Augustine was knocking the man on the head two or three others
were trying to hold the man down. After they’d tied up this man I went back
into the house again to once more check the bedrooms. Somebody told Alex to get
the Cortina. He went off through the back gate. He should have returned with
the car after a few seconds. When he didn’t I decided to bring the Volkswagen
to the back. I found the ignition key still there. I started the engine and was
about to drive off when I saw a car turning into Chepstow Close at the bottom
of the road. I knew it would be my neighbours returning home. I switched off
the engine. My neighbours drove past me very slowly.

“I went back-to our backyard and told the
people there that the neighbours were back. By the time Augustine had told them
to line up, Mrs Ng had already approached the back door of her house. David
greeted her. She was joined by her husband a few minutes later. They went into
their house. I was afraid they might be suspicious seeing a group of people in
the backyard in the dark, doing nothing, so I took up an empty bottle, before
they entered their house, and I said loudly so that they could hear, Something
like ‘You brought the wrong thing. I have to speak to my captain about it.’
This was merely to make my neighbours believe we were just having a conversation.

Soon as they had gone I ran through the
front gate, got into the Volkswagen and drove it to the back road, to my back
gate. I went back to the backyard and the others started to carry the three
tied men to the Volkswagen. I saw the first man’s legs kicking. He was placed
in a sitting position in the car. All three were placed in the same position on
the rear seat. My hand was hurting very badly and I went to the living room and
lay down on the sofa. Alex drove the Volkswagen. Augustine came into the living
room and picked up the telephone. When I asked him who he was calling he waved
to me to be quiet. He dialled a number and said: ‘This is Augustine. I have the
gold. I’m coming down now.’ Shortly afterwards I saw Augustine and David
loading the bags of gold into the white Mercedes. Augustine drove off. I waited
until about 2:30
am
before
calling Mrs Ngo to ask her where her husband was. We spoke in Hokkien. She
doesn’t speak Hokkien well. She said he was gone. I tried to tell her that he
had not appeared at my house. I think she got annoyed because we could not
understand each other. She hung up the phone. I then called my flight crew at
the Hyatt Hotel and asked if he had seen Ngo. He said he had seen him earlier
that evening but not since.”