Unsolved Les Samba

[CAS79]

Im not one for the big introes but Les Samba was, Sydney race horse owner, trainer, breeder and probable race fixer was shot on Feb 27 on Beaconsfield parade Melbourne last year.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/w...k-with-the-dance-of-death-20110401-1crqs.html

This occurred after leaving a dinner party and driving to a meeting at 9:30 that night to be shot and wounded on the footpath in the open confines of the busy road. Les tried to stumble back but the shooter caught up with him and put a bullet in his head at point blank before taking off by foot.

The problem police have in this is not finding a potential suspect but finding the right one. Les had certainly made himself a collection of dodgy friends over the years including his current friend Ron Medich.

His daughter used to be married to Danny Nikolic, yes the same jockey at the centre of race fixing allegations and who's name long before that had been thrown around tab's by the punters as discussed if he was riding for real or on the take in any given race. Danny's older brother is also widely suspected of involvement in fixing (link to keep admin happy http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/racefixing-scandal-spreads-20120814-246zb.html) and little brother Tommy, a not so talented horseman lives on the same street Les was murdered.

But there are other dodgy dealings for Les so we cant just look at the Nikolics. Did someone from Sydney make the trip down to knock him off and make it look like the Nikolic's were involved to throw the scent.

In the first several months of this one the updates would ring regularly... but it's gone quiet, is this the calm before the storm or has the murder trail gone dry, or are they going to bring it out as part of an even bigger expose on the crooks of the Racing World.

The problem also remains who pulled the trigger. it does not look like a pro job... but having said that they got their man and got away.

Im tipping though the obvious are behind the shooters bidding.

 

[Ghostwriter]

The 4 corners episode about this murder and race fixing in Vic raised an interesting question, why would someone staying at a plush hotel, I can't remember which one, leave the pub to visit someone late at night when they could just come and meet in a bar at the pub, as the Detective said he must have known the person who enticed him to the scene.
Danny Nikolic also visited the police shortly after the murder on his own accord to discuss the killing, this is sometimes seen as a sign of guilt.
If you have nothing to do with a murder why bother going to the cops, just let them get on with the job of solving it.

 

[Mr Reliable]

The cops probably know who ''done'' it. But they probably haven't got enough evidence.

Someone in the know would be talking to them ''off the record''.

 

[Badge666]

Samba was a prolific marijuana grower and producer during the eighties and nineties. He was considered" well connected" and" heavy" enough that a few of his crop-sitters took pretty lengthy jail terms without ratting him out when crops were discovered on properties , he was associated with
People of his criminal stature are often used as paid " go betweens" in big drug deals where the seller and the buyer are wary of each other ,but are happy to have middlemen like Samba, handle the cash and drug handovers with both anonymity and " no funny business" guarantees.
Samba was meeting with people and taking telephone calls before he headed out to his date with destiny,. He was also being given the run around of the suburb he was shot in prior to the incident, stopping at a well known hotel ,then a park .
Experienced criminals will often make the person who is coming to them do this "stop. start,stop, start again procedure enroute so they can observe anyone following or surveilling, only telephoning through the final meeting place when they are sure the person is alone and not being followed.
The cash travels to the drugs is the general rule of thumb in these matters.
Whoever shot Samba got close enough to deliver a coup- de- gra and may have relieved him of a substantial wad of cash as well.
Samba was lured to his death which could turn out to be a simple drug rip-off.
On the flip side ,he had reportedly given his errant jockey ex son in law a very decent hiding and told him to stay away from the daughter "or else" in the preceding months as well...and make no mistake a threat like that carries some weight from Les Samba, he was tight up there in the upper echelons of the underworld...was that enough to get him killed.......?

 

[Badge666]

Watching with interest the John NiKolic Fiji gun and drug importation event unfolding.Puts an interesting slant on the angle that Samba may have fallen out with a major drug syndicate.
I have always felt that Sambas behaviour prior to his murder indicated he was acting as the middleman in a fairly large drug deal and he was picking up from the supplier and had buyers waiting,
Cocaine and amphetamine use is rife in the racing industry.

 

[Badge666]

AS details emerge of John Nikolics Fiji drug bust, some of the speculation re Les Sambas murder is coming into context and media is being more open about reporting it. i.e. " fallen afoul of a major drug syndicate," lured into believing he was about to make 150,000 commission by buying racehorses for wealthy Malaysians" and that Samba "was in Melbourne at the invitation Of John Nikolic. "
Also found amusing somewhat tongue in cheek the comment by Nikolic after his wifes horse was treated pre race with a swab later found to have traces of cocaine at a NSW country racetrack.."cocaine is everywhere these days, it could have come from anywhere". Indeed.
So it turns out that John Nikolic has been a red hot suspect for Les Sambas murder since day one. How brazen. ( the correct word is probably stupid ) of him to go swanning around in a yacht all through South America before returning laden with Bolivian Marching powder.