Korean resto bar owner killed

A 43-year-old Korean businessman was found dead yesterday dawn with gunshot wounds in a resto bar he owned in barangay Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City.

Police are looking into  various possible motives, including robbery, a grudge  and business rivalry in the killing of  Lim Soo Yuen.

Lim suffered three gunshot wounds in the body.

The Korean had been operating the bar for five years and lived alone in his home-cum-office.

A .38 caliber revolver was  found about five meters from his body. The gun, which was  empty, was owned by the  businessman, according to his workers.

Six empty shells of  a .38 revolver and six empty shells for a 9mm caliber pistol were recovered from the crime scene.

Police said a shootout  may have occured with the assailant and that the Korean may have run out of bullets then fled to his office where he was chased and finished off.

Sheny Bebelone, 21, cashier of the resto bar, said her employer used to keep cash in a drawer. The drawer was was  found to be  empty.

Police are set to invite the resto bar workers for questioning as part of the investigation.

Police are also looking for 18-year-old Ronel Carillos,  a Lapu-Lapu city resident who was fired four days earlier from the resto bar.

Narjon Paquibot, the chief cook, told police that Lim fired Carillos after  catching him allegedly trying to steal a bottle of wine.

A security guard of a nearby beach resort called the police after hearing gunshots from the resto bar around 2 a.m.

Joselito Beltran said he peeped through the bar’s concrete fence but saw no one.

Police  arrived around 6 a.m. but found the front gate locked.  Some bar workers later arrived and helped police open the gate.

The bloodied victim was found slumped face down on the floor./CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA