Pregnant mum fled country without kids days after murder of Bankstown lawyer Ho Ledinh
A PREGNANT woman charged over the murder of Bankstown lawyer Ho Ledinh fled the country without her children just days after the killing and police believe the gun used is linked to an unsolved double Homicide in Victoria in 2015, a court has heard.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A PREGNANT woman charged over the murder of Bankstown lawyer Ho Ledinh fled the country without her children just days after the killing and police believe the gun used is linked to an unsolved double Homicide in Victoria in 2015, a court has heard.
Police Prosecutor Rossi Kotsis told Burwood Local Court Analosa Ah Keni, 35, flew to New Zealand with thousands of dollars in her pocket two days after Bankstown lawyer Mr Medinh had been gunned down outside the Happy Cup cafe.
“The deceased’s body was barely cold before she arranged to buy tickets to get out of the jurisdiction without her children,” Mr Kotsis told the court.
“The premises where she lived and the entire household including furniture items had been packed up and were placed in storage ready to be shipped to New Zealand.”
Police also believe she knows where the gun used to shoot Mr Ledinh from point blank-range is located while documents tendered in the bail application outline how police believe the gun is also linked to an unsolved double Homicide in Victoria in 2015.
Ah Keni, who is pregnant with her fifth child, appeared before Burwood Local Court on Wednesday via audiovisual link from Silverwater Women’s jail to make a bail application.
Ah Keni was arrested earlier this month in connection to the murder of the 65-year-old solicitor who was gunned down outside Happy Cup cafe at Bankstown City Plaza on January 23 in what police believe was a contract killing.
Ah Keni fled the country on January 25 and was stopped by New Zealand custom officials with $6095 in cash on her. They also seized her phone which police allege contained two photos of a black semiautomatic pistol they believed is the murder weapon.
She retuned to Australia via Melbourne International Airport on February 6 and remained in Victoria where her family has a house until March 8.
As she headed back to Sydney she was arrested on the Hume Highway at Marulan on March 8 and taken to Goulburn Police Station where she was later charged with murder.
Magistrate Robyn Denes refused the mother bail saying there was a risk she would try and flee the country.
“More questions are raised by the conduct of the accused immediately after the murder than are answered,” Ms Denes told the court.
“I am not satisfied at this stage that she has shown cause why she should be granted bail and there is a very real and live question on flight risk.
“I am not satisfied the mere fact she is pregnant is enough to show cause.”
According to documents tendered in court police have CCTV footage of Ah Keni driving past Happy Cup cafe in a grey Nissan Le Grand van less than hour before he was shot.
Police also allege Ah Keni gave alleged gunman Arthur Kelekolio, a change of clothes following the murder and provided the getaway car.
Ah Keni was supported in court by a large group of family and friends who watched on silently from the public gallery as they learnt she would not be released.
Ah Keni’s arrest came three weeks after Kelekolio was arrested at Sydney International Airport before he could board a flight to Bali after his passport reportedly triggered a security alert.
He faced Sydney’s Central Local Court on February 14 where his lawyer, Adam Houda, didn’t apply for bail and it was formally refused by magistrate Les Mabbutt.
His matter will return to court on April 11.
Following the targeted attack, officers said they would be looking into Mr Ledinh’s organised crime clients as part of their investigation, with the Homicide Squad setting up Strike Force Eugene to investigate the shooting.
The father-of-five was one of the solicitors who represented Philip Nguyen, the man jailed over the killing of Sydney police constable Bill Crews in 2010.
Ah Keni’s matter will return to Burwood Local Court on May 2.