A Briton was being questioned by police last night in connection with the murder of Suzan Tamim, the Lebanese singer found dead in her Dubai apartment, according to officials at the British embassy.
The man was being held in police custody following his arrest earlier this week. However, it is understood that police are looking at more than one suspect and that one of the main lines of questioning for the man in custody is the whereabouts of a suspected accomplice in the killing. A spokesman for the British consulate in Dubai said: “We can confirm that a British national is helping police with their inquiries with regards to the Suzan Tamim investigation. We are offering him full consular assistance.” The spokesman also confirmed that a consular official had visited the man. It was not known where he was being held.
Suzan Tamim lived in Rimal Tower’s 1113 apartment in Jumeirah Beach Residence in Dubai Marina. Preliminary investigations revealed that she had bought the apartment for Dh2.8 million (US $765,000) just days ago on July 22nd on arrival in Dubai from London.Suzan Tamim's father, Abdul Sattar Tamim, had disclosed that he had evidense that pointed to the hiring of a hitman to kill his daughter. Dubai police have refused to comment on any arrests or lines of inquiry but say the case is heading in a positive direction. The murder investigation was launched after the beautiful Suzan Tamim, 31, was found with her throat cut (possibly decapitated, information not revealed) and multiple stab wounds to her face, mutilated beyond recognition, in her Jumeirah Beach Residence apartment on Monday, July 28th. The office of Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar said that Lebanon has officially sought the aid of Interpol.
After her divorce from Ali Manzaz, Suzan married Lebanese producer Adel Matooq but the second marriage, too, hit the rocks very soon. In order to get away from the string of cases filed by her second husband, Adel, she travelled secretly to Egypt from Lebanon. Eight months ago, she disappeared from Egypt (she went to London) only to surface in the UAE about a 3 weeks ago. Suzan’s second husband Adel Matooq had in 2004 alleged attempts on his life by Suzan with help from others. Matooq suffered injuries when some unknown assailants shot at him outside his office in Beirut. He alleged that an Egyptian businessman with whom Suzan was having an affair, was behind the attack. The matter is still in court. Matooq also declined to divorce Suzan.
Was this an "Honor Killing" using the Briton hitman or men to mutilate and slaughter Suzan Tamim and how did they track her so fast to an apartment she had just purchased days before the murder (inside information here), it appears that sexy Suzan Tamim was married to two Arab men at the same time when she was murdered. Her husband AdelMaatouk, in a statement, said that he wanted his wife to stop singing and devote her time to the family after their marriage. Maatouk said his wife left Lebanon against his wishes and that the singer's parents had told her not to listen to him, see his webiste photo click here.The night before her body was found, Tamim had a late-night gathering, with about 20 guests partying until the early hours of Monday morning. Her body was found after friends and family grew concerned when they could not contact her all day. A police source said detectives were pursuing a possible lead after a security guard, on duty at Tamim’s Rimal 1 tower the day she was murdered, described a man demanding to know her apartment number. He was last seen entering the lift and heading for her apartment on the 22nd floor about 9am on Monday – which is the time police believe she was murdered.
She was buried in her home town of Beirut on Monday after her body was finally released and flown out of Dubai. As the mystery behind Tamim’s murder deepened, intriguing details continued to emerge about her private life.
Although at the time of her death she was still officially married to Adel Maatouk, her former Lebanese producer, but an Iraqi kick-boxing champion living in the UK by the name of Riyadh al Azzawi held a press conference last weekend claiming he was also married to her and had lived with her in London for 18 months. His brother Mohammed told The National that Mr Azzawi was distraught at the news of Tamim’s death. He also confirmed his brother was still in London and had not attended the funeral, adding: “He is being comforted by friends and has already held a private service for Suzan in London on Friday.”Tamim was never far from controversy throughout her career, her private life rapidly began to overshadow her singing career. Mr Maatouk, who was estranged from her at the time of her death, accused her of stealing Dh1.28 million ($350,000) and she was arrested by Interpol in Egypt in 2005. Months later she faced allegations of being involved in a heroin smuggling ring with her father. Suzan Tamim's last album was produced by production giant Rotana in 2002. Her last song, "Lovers," recorded in 2006, was dedicated to the memory of slain Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (killed by a terrorist truck bomb).