Missing Italian seen heading to southern Philippines

PETALING JAYA: The mystery of a missing Italian businessman took a new turn as he is believed to have gone by ferry to the southern Philippines city of Zamboanga.

William Bocchi is believed to have boarded the Philippines-based Danica Joy ferry in Sandakan on Oct 14 for an overnight trip to Zamboanga.

However, sources said they could not immediately ascertain what passport the 52-year-old Bocchi had used "if he had exited Sabah."

Authorities here are still trying to put together Bocchi’s movements since he was last seen leaving a hotel in downtown Sandakan on Oct 14.

Bocchi arrived at KLIA 2 in Sepang, Selangor on Oct 12 and flew to Kota Kinabalu the following day before making a connecting flight to Lahad Datu.

Lahad Datu businessman Sia Yiik Huon had reported Bocchi’s absence on Monday after being alerted by a friend in Kuala Lumpur who received an email from Bocchi’s colleague, known as Fabio.

Sia told police that Fabio said Bocchi was due to return home on Oct 16.

Sia said Bocchi, who is in the financial service business and a sales representative for a compressor distributor, was supposed to have met a client in Lahad Datu.

Bocchi was last seen arriving at the Lahad Datu airport on Oct 13 from Kota Kinabalu and police had since determined that the businessman had taken a bus from there to Sandakan the same day.

In Sandakan, Bocchi checked into a hotel in the downtown area at about 9.25pm on Oct 13 and left the following day.

Related articles:

Sabah police making inroads into missing Italian

Sabah cops launch search for missing Italian