Police probe kidnap theory, debt woes and personal life in murdered lawyer investigation
THE killer responsible for gunning down Sydney criminal lawyer Ho Ledinh in broad daylight may have abandoned earlier plans to kidnap the father of five.
NSW
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THE killer who gunned down Sydney criminal lawyer Ho Ledinh in broad daylight may have abandoned earlier plans to kidnap the father of five.
Homicide detectives investigating the execution this week have been told an initial plan to kidnap a solicitor in Bankstown had been abandoned because there were too many people around.
The unusual theory is one of many that investigators have the arduous task of counting in or out.
Since Mr Ledinh, 65, was shot dead while sitting at the Happy Cup Cafe in Bankstown City Plaza on Tuesday afternoon, police have been inundated with information about his business activities and personal affairs.
However, they are cautious about focusing on one line of inquiry too early.
The information supplied about the abandoned kidnap has suggested those behind it were Pacific Islanders which fits the description of the shooter, who fired at least four bullets into Mr Ledinh before fleeing.
Armed with a handgun, the shooter was wearing gloves, a yellow high-visibility T-shirt and a raincoat.
The Sunday Telegraph understands police are also looking into Mr Ledinh’s dire financial circumstances. One source said his debt had reached “six figures”.
Other unconfirmed intelligence suggests a drug syndicate with ties in Australia and Vietnam could have played a background role.
Detectives are optimistic they will be able to collect enough video from security cameras and mobile phones to trace the killer’s getaway.
“It is important we get as much evidence as possible and that the community keeps providing us with footage,” said Homicide Squad commander Detective Superintendent Scott Cook.
He would not be drawn on the information police had received but said there were “multiple lines of inquiry looking at different avenues of his life, including business and personal”.
Mr Ledinh’s wife, Ngo Thu Huong, and children flew out to Vietnam to visit relatives on the morning of the shooting.
They arrived back in Sydney on Wednesday, accompanied by police.
Detectives have started interviewing Mr Ledinh’s extended family in an attempt to learn more about his personal background.
His line of work as a criminal lawyer, representing organised crime figures, drug dealers and traffic offenders, was “absolutely a line of inquiry”, Superintendent Cook said earlier this week.
Mr Ledinh represented drug dealer Philip Nguyen, who was jailed for the manslaughter of Constable Bill Crews during a drug raid in Bankstown in 2010.
Anyone with video of the offender, last seen running along Stewart Lane, should contact Crime Stoppers.