Temple murder accused taken back to crime scene
Teck Whye Lane temple murder
The man accused of murdering a former medium at a Teck Whye Lane temple last month was taken back to the crime scene yesterday.
Loh Suan Lit, 47, is accused of killing Mr Tan Poh Huat, 53, at the Chua Chu Kang Lian Sing Keng temple between 2.30am and 3.30am on Feb 14. (See report.)
Yesterday morning, Loh was taken to Block 15, Marsiling Lane, where he shared a rented Housing Board three-room flat with other tenants.
Officers first escorted Loh to the void deck, where he is believed to have disposed of the tools used in the crime.
He stood in front of a dustbin and was seen gesturing to officers as if he were throwing something away.
Loh, who wore a red polo shirt, blue bermudas and a pair of slippers, was restrained at the wrists and ankles and flanked by two plainclothes officers at all times.
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The police then took Loh up to his unit on the 12th storey and spent 15 minutes searching the premises for more evidence.
An immediate neighbour, who has lived there for three years, told The New Paper that the unit was rented out to about eight tenants in October last year.
He declined to be named and said he did not recognise Loh when TNP showed him a picture of the accused.
Loh was next taken to a nearby hardware store.
It is believed that he bought the tools used on the day of the alleged murder from there.
He was led around the shop and asked about the various tools sold.
An officer was seen picking up a hammer and asking Loh about it.
Another questioned him about a saw.
After this, he was ushered back into a police van and taken to the Chua Chu Kang Lian Sing Keng temple in Teck Whye Lane, where Mr Tan was found lying motionless with a head injury.
Mr Tan's elder sister told TNP last month that their father had founded the Tianyun temple in Choa Chu Kang.
In 1992, the temple moved with three other temples to its current location in Teck Whye Lane. After their father's death, her brother took over the role of "tang ki" (Hokkien for medium).
Yesterday, Loh was led around the temple and its various prayer halls and asked to recount what happened that day.
The officers scribbled notes as he spoke softly about almost every detail in the temple - including a stack of calendars and a red door.
He was led to the back of the temple and out via its back gate, which Loh is believed to have used to enter the temple that day.
After about an hour, he was taken back to the police van while the officers continued scouring the temple premises.
Loh is expected to be back in court on Friday.
About the case
Loh Suan Lit, 47, was charged with the murder of Mr Tan Poh Huat, 53, at the Chua Chu Kang Lian Sing Keng temple last Friday.
He is accused of committing the crime between 2.30am and 3.30am on Feb 14.
Mr Tan was found lying motionless at the rear of the temple, where he usually slept.
The divorced father of three, who had lived in the temple in Teck Whye Lane for five years, had a head injury and was pronounced dead by paramedics at around 7am that day.
Mr Tan was reportedly a runner for a bookmaker and had $10,000 on him at the time of his death.
He also worked as a medium at the temple, which had been set up by his father.
Loh was arrested by the police last Wednesday and faces the death penalty if convicted of murder.
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