By GYASI GONZALES, www.trinidadexpress.com

CHRISTOPHER Aleong, the brother of former BWIA CEO, Conrad Aleong, was shot dead just seconds after leaving his Petit Valley home at around 6.30 yesterday morning.

On receiving the news that his brother had been killed, Conrad, who was in Jamaica, cut short his trip and was due to return home last night.

Up to late yesterday evening there was no motive as to why the 58-year-old managing director of Albrosco Ltd and father of six was shot while seated in his Audi A 6.

The Express understands that as Aleong approached the corner leading out of Hibiscus Drive two cars drove up to his. One blocked his path while the other pulled alongside.

What baffles investigators was whether the men were out to murder him outright or whether it was a botched kidnap attempt.

The Express was told that upon seeing one of the occupants of the other vehicle emerge with a gun, Aleong drew his licensed revolver. There was a shootout between the men and Aleong during which Aleong—having been shot about seven times—slammed the Audi into his neighbour’s wall.

The occupants in the other two cars fled the scene. One of those men is believed to have been shot by Aleong.

Neighbours who heard the commotion and emerged from their homes found him slumped behind the steering wheel of the car, still gasping for breath.

Officers of the Four Roads fire station took him to the St Clair Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

His body was later taken to the Forensic Sciences Centre where a post-mortem was performed.

Aleong, his son Andrew and brother Lewis were the bailors of former minister of national security Russell Huggins in the airport corruption case.

A high-powered team of investigators from the Four Roads and St James Police Stations including Snr Supt Quashie, Ag Snr Supt Nimrod (Homicide), ASP Julius, ASP Nedd, Sgt Anthony Lezama, Sgt Stephen Ramsubhag and Cpl Hayden Hannays visited the scene where they conducted enquiries.

There they scoured the ground for evidence and lifted blood samples from the roadway.

In the meantime the Aleong family remained incommunicado save for one brother, David Aleong, who briefly spoke to the Express.

He began by saying, “There is nothing I could say about what happened. We are awaiting a police report. Trinidadians say all kinds of things. All I know was that he was coming out of the house and was shot.”

David continued, “He was the kind of person ... he won’t lie and don’t keep secrets. I spoke to him everyday as we worked very closely.”

He said that the last time he spoke to the deceased was at around 4 a.m. yesterday. He did not elaborate about the conversation but said he was in Arima when he called.

Asked if the family was thinking about getting personal security in light of the incident, he replied, “We are now thinking of it.”

“We hope that the government gets serious about crime. Crime is eating away at the fabric of our society. We don’t feel good. We can’t even have a little party in our yard (referring to last Saturday’s murder of Annette Farah in Westmoorings). She was shot and nobody knows why.

“We are simply working hard and trying to live.”

Four Roads Police are investigating.