The case of a 28-year-old man accused of murdering a Taiwanese businessman and his family before burying them was postponed in the Krugersdorp Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Bao Xin Long, a Chinese national, is due to appear in court again on August 31.
The case has been postponed for the appointment of a legal-aid attorney and further investigation. Long will remain in custody until then.
Long and a 34-year-old woman were arrested on Thursday after police found the bodies of four people, believed to be those of a family reported missing last week, buried in two graves on a plot in Krugersdorp.
The partly decomposed bodies of the businessman and his family, who sold TV and video games, were exhumed on Friday. They were reported missing on Tuesday last week.
”An immediate investigation was launched, which ultimately led the police to business premises in Troyeville on Thursday afternoon,” said Gauteng police spokesperson Mary Martins-Engelbrecht.
”A 28-year-old Chinese man was found on the premises, pretending to be the missing owner of the business. Detectives confiscated documentation which led them to a plot in Krugersdorp, where they found what appeared to be two graves.”
The bodies of a 45-year-old woman and two boys, aged five and 18, were found in one grave. The body of the 59-year-old businessman was found in a second grave.
The woman, Giu Jun Chen, was originally from China, while her husband, Chi Hsin Chen, was originally from Taiwan. Their sons were identified as Huan Qi and Hong Wen Chen.
Further investigations led police to Bruma, where they arrested Long’s 34-year-old girlfriend.
”She was found in possession of a cellphone belonging to one of the missing family members. More documentation and a firearm belonging to that of the missing businessman was also confiscated,” said Martins-Engelbrecht.
Investigating officer Pikkie Fourie said the 34-year-old woman will be deported to China within the week. It is believed that Long met the woman, identified as Xiu Yu Yan, in June. Police believe the family was murdered in May.
”She is an illegal immigrant and will be deported, maybe today [Monday] or tomorrow [Tuesday]. For now she’s being held at the Krugersdorp holding cells,” said Fourie.
While family members of the Chen family were not present at the court, a large contingent of Chinese and Taiwanese journalists packed the courtroom.
Long, a stocky man who was dressed in navy cargo pants and a black leather jacket during the court proceedings on Monday, glanced briefly at journalists in the public gallery before being led back down to the holding cells.
He will be held at the Krugersdorp prison until his next appearance.
Martins-Engelbrecht said police are still awaiting the outcome of post-mortem results to determine the date and cause of the deaths. — Sapa