Bail applications stalled in Gao-Chen murder case

The suspects embroiled in the murder of Meiying Gao-Chen were scheduled to appear before the Madadeni Magistrate’s Court on November 20. However, the case was postponed at the last minute, as a result of ongoing investigations by Hawks officials.

Mrs Gao-Chen was gunned down in her store at a shopping centre in oSizweni on October 9, prompting a wide-scale manhunt for nine hardened criminals.

Three suspects have since been apprehended, with no set date from them to appear in court. Details surrounding the postponement were yet to be disclosed at the time of publication.

Despite the delays, Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Municipal Councillor, Alex Liu, remains optimistic about the progress made to date.

“The others will be arrested; it’s just a matter of time. We are still confident the killer will be brought to justice. If we must wait, we will wait,” he explained, steadfast in his belief.

In last week’s edition, it was reported Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Durban,Wang Jianzhou, was concerned for the safety and security of the Chinese community of Newcastle. However, he maintained a positive attitude and outlook regarding the future of his people.

“I have received positive response from the local police. They have promised to do their best to better protect the Chinese people,” he stated previously.

Cllr Liu shared Mr Jianzhou’s sentiments, and said, thanks to the assistance of law enforcement officials, faith is the justice system was slowly, but surely being restored.

“It does restore some confidence to the community that the SAPS is capable of catching the criminals, and we are working closely with authorities to fight crime,” he concluded.