TWO 16-year-old boys have been arrested in connection with the murder of an Indonesian kennel worker in Hong Kong.

Ms Fitriani's body was found at a Sheung Shui dog kennel last Wednesday.

The 24-year-old, who had previously worked as a maid, had been stabbed more than 20times.

She and one of the teens, known only as Liao, had reportedly been in a relationship that ended in October.

The police were led to Liao after they examined Ms Fitriani's handphone and learnt she had been in constant contact with workers at the kennel.

They questioned more than 50kennel workers and found that Liao's statement did not match those of the others.

After questioning Liao, they suspected his friend Liang, also 16, as well.

Upon further questioning, the two allegedly admitted their involvement in the murder.

Ms Fitriani's body had been discovered by the kennel's 58-year-old owner.

There were reportedly no signs of a struggle and no weapon was found.

'FELL IN LOVE'

Liao reportedly met Ms Fitriani two years ago when he was a trainer at the kennel.

Ms Fitriani had worked as a maid for a fireman before that.

She and Liao reportedly fell in love, then broke up. Ms Fitriani then went back to Indonesia for a holiday.

When she returned to Hong Kong, she reportedly told colleagues that she would be going back to Indonesia to get married.

On Tuesday morning, Liao was taken to the scene of the crime, where he re-enacted his actions that day for the police.

He also pointed out to them a torchlight he had discarded that night.

BOUGHT MASK, GLOVES

He said that on the night of the killing, he had bought a pair of gloves and a mask before calling Ms Fitriani on her handphone.

He then went to the kennel in a taxi.

He and Liang sneaked onto the premises through the back gate.

Liang acted as a lookout while Liao went into the kitchen and took a 30cm-long knife.

He put on the mask and gloves and waited for MsFitriani to patrol the kennel.

Liao showed the police how he had stabbed Ms Fitriani twice in the chest that night, demonstrating on a mannequin the police had taken there.

He also showed them how he had stabbed her in the back another 20 times after she fell.

Then, he met Liang, who was waiting for him on an overhead bridge.

He told Liang 'It's settled' and passed him the knife, gloves and mask.

Liang threw them into the grass behind a fence. The police managed to retrieve them.

Liao's colleagues said he had a bad temper, but never imagined he was capable of such a crime.

The police believe Ms Fitriani had been the victim of an assault case last month, in which she was hit on the head.

They are looking into a possible link between these two cases.

This article was first published in The New Paper on Jan 31, 2008.

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