In December 1982 (during the early years of my sister Cindy James’s harassment) Cindy received several threatening letters. One of them was a picture of a blond woman (representing my sister) with her throat slashed, with a caption in capital letters saying, “Merry Christmas.” –such a frightening threat!
So in July 2008 when 30-year-old Lebanese singer Suzanne Tamim was found dead in her Dubai apartment with multiple stab wounds and a 20-centimeter (8 inch) slash across her throat, I thought of Cindy and how she had been terrorized with that long-ago picture. My heart immediately went out to Suzanne’s family and friends, not only for the death they had to cope with but also for the horrific way she had died.
And I was saddened to discover very little progress had been made in solving Tamim’s horrible death.
No progress…that is until recently.
Only this past week was the real estate mogul, Hisham Talaat Moustafa (said to be Tamim’s former lover), arrested by Egyptian authorities. The tycoon, a top ruling party official close to President Hosni Mubarak’s powerful son, Gamal, is one of Egypt’s top billionaires—owning luxury hotels and beach resorts—and a leading force in building Western-style suburbs in Cairo for the upper class.
Well, last Tuesday, Egypt’s public prosecutor accused Moustafa of contracting for the singer’s killing by paying $2 million to Mohsen el-Sukkary, a former Egyptian state security officer who worked at the Cairo Four Seasons Hotel owned by Moustafa. The prosecutor said Moustafa helped facilitate visas and tickets for the security man as he trailed the singer first to London, then to Dubai (where Tamim had moved to break off her relationship with Moustafa, who is married).
According to Dubai investigators, el-Sukkary stalked the singer the morning of July 28th to her apartment in Dubai, which overlooked the Persian Gulf and a harbor full of yachts.
Then from the lobby he rang her video intercom, showing her an ID of the management company from which she had recently bought the apartment.
Police say she buzzed him in.
Once inside, he stabbed her repeatedly with a knife and then shed his overalls and cap, dumping them in a trash bin outside the building, officials said. They were found by police and tested for DNA.
Police say the killer’s face also appeared on security camera footage.
“It took 12 minutes for the murderer to enter the building, kill the victim and leave,” Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina of the Dubai police told a press conference.
El-Sukkary was arrested August 6th in Egypt. Dubai police traveled to Cairo to present their evidence against him but then turned their attention to Moustafa.
Last Thursday, Egypt’s independent Al-Masri Al-Youm newspaper printed transcripts of alleged phone conversations kept by el-Sukkary and seized by police. In one, Moustafa says, “The agreed amount is ready,” and tells the security man, “Tomorrow, she is in London and you should act.”
In a later tape, el-Sukkary explains he missed his chance in London and “will wait to move it to Dubai.” Moustafa chides him then says, “”OK, let’s finish with this.”
I’m curious to know how this case unfolds in the criminal justice system. So if you hear any more updates, please let me know.
Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My friend
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TV Shows and Clips about the Death of Cindy James