Bizarre twist to hotel murder

2004-12-10 21:59

Ziegfried Ekron

Cape Town - A friend of South African Laura Walker has been arrested by Thai police in connection with her murder.

Her body was found in one of Bangkok's most prominent five-star hotels.

The man was found lying under Walker's naked and bloodied body in the bathroom of her hotel suite. He reportedly was also naked.

Walker had deep cuts to her throat - apparently made with a carpet knife - and her wrist was slit.

The former University of Cape Town student and ex-finance department employee had been attending a World Bank training session.

A Thai newspaper, The Nation, reports that officials who attended the course with her, found her body on Wednesday after she had not arrived for a work session.

According to the newspaper her friend's wrist was also cut, but not deep enough to endanger his life.

The paper claimed that both had been drinking excessively.

The police's Wachanont Tirawat said the suspected murder weapon had been found.

"We found a carpet knife on the scene which was apparently used by the suspect to cut the woman's throat," he said.

The man, a Filipino, faces the death penalty should he be found guilty of murder.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel described Walker as "a talented policy analyst and economist who worked in the inter-governmental relations section of the National Treasury between 1999 and 2000.

Nomsanelo Kota of the South African foreign affairs department said the government knew of the attack, but was not involved in the investigation into the woman's death.

According to Kota Walker had double citizenship - South African and British - and she had travelled to Thailand on her British passport.

"This means that the British government is handling all liaison and arrangements.

"I cannot say when her body will be taken out of Thailand and where it will go," Kota added.

- Die Burger