JOHOR BARU: Police have confirmed that the riot outside a restaurant in the Mount Austin area here was not linked to secret societies or illegal moneylending syndicates.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the incident on Saturday stemmed from a personal dispute over a business loan.
He said the conflict arose when the victim’s friend allowed one of the suspects to use his bank account, into which RM100,000 had been deposited through an online transaction.
“Unknown to the suspect, the victim’s friend withdrew the money in stages, leading to the suspect’s frustration and a demand for repayment,” he told a press conference at the Johor police contingent headquarters here yesterday, Bernama reported.
“A meeting was held to resolve the repayment issue, with the victim present.
“However, a misunderstanding led to the victim being attacked by a group of men, while the victim’s friend managed to escape,” he added.
So far, the police have arrested 13 individuals, aged between 20 and 47, including a Vietnamese woman who is the wife of one of the suspects.
“Preliminary urine tests showed that four of the suspects tested positive for ketamine.
“All 12 male suspects are under remand for seven days, from Dec 28 to Jan 3, while the female suspect is remanded for three days,” he added.
On Sunday, Johor Baru South police chief Asst Comm Raub Selamat confirmed that 12 local men and a Vietnamese woman were involved in the riot.
The victims were attacked with metal chairs and meat cleavers, leaving one of them with injuries.
