Police hold boyfriend of Estonian model found dead in Malaysia
(Malay Mail Online) – Tunku Alang Reza Tunku Ibrahim, 28, the boyfriend of Regina Soosalu, who was found dead on a resort island on July 1, has reported to police to be remanded into custody at the Kota Tinggi court in Johor Baru, Malaysia, on July 10. He will be held for a week in order to assist police in their murder investigation into Soosalu’s death.
Reporting to the police station and also detained together with Tunku Alang is an associate of his identified only as “Augustine”. The detention of the two men brings the total number of people held in connection to the suspected murder to seven.
Among the other five people in custody are a bartender, two boatmen, and a manager all from the resort on Rawa island where Regina Soosalu’s body was found. They were detained separately. The day she died, Soosalu was meant to check into the Alang Resort, located elsewhere on the island and owned by her boyfriend’s family.
According to The Star, Tunku Alang and Regina Soosalu were awaiting trial on drug possession charges related their arrest at Taman Century in Johor Baru on January 11. They are charged with possession of 5.84 grams of cannabis, to which they pleaded not guilty and posted bail of RM7,000 on May 12.
Regina Soosalu, a successful Estonian model in Malaysia, was found dead on a resort island last week. Previously assumed to be a case of drowning, police have now classified the case as murder after discovering wounds on the model’s body.
“Initially, the police investigated the case as a drowning incident. However, we classified it as a murder case after finding injuries on the body,” said Johor CID chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan in a press conference.
Soosalu, who lived in Kuala Lumpur, arrived on Pulau Rawa for a vacation on July 1, according to The Malay Mail. However, it remains unclear whether she had company.
Quoting an unnamed source, Malaysian newspaper The Star reported that the 30-year-old model was last spotted leaving her room for a walk near a jetty by hotel workers. Her body was found on a beach on the same day.
However, the model’s death was only publicised five days later when her boyfriend Tengku Alang Reza Ibrahim posted it on Facebook. In a status update that was later deleted, he wrote: “I am deeply saddened and totally heartbroken to confirm the worst tragedy of my life. Regina my love has passed away on July 1, in the holy month of Ramadan.”
The late announcement spurred shock and questions among Soosalu’s friends. One of them, who refused to be named, told the Malaysian Digest that they couldn’t understand why her death was made public until five days after her death.
Six people who were on the island on July 1 are now detained by police to assist investigation. The model’s boyfriend was not among the detainees.
Soosalu’s family was informed of the model’s death through the Estonian embassy in Beijing. Her stepfather and mother are expected to arrive in Malaysia today.
