Santo Domingo.- The National Police yesterday suspended major Cristino Batista, after one of the accused of lieutenant colonel Virgilio Casilla Minaya’s murder revealed that he recommended not to turn himself in to the authorities.

The latest development is yet another twist in the now puzzling killing of one of the top investigators of the Police Internal Affairs Division.

The Police also said Batista was placed at the disposal of the Justice Ministry for questioning in conection with to Casilla’s death. One of the acused, Fermín Peñaló (Tatao), told the authorities that Batista told him that he shouldn’t surrender when investigators were after him as a suspect.

Yesterday four more men, adding to the original three, were accused of having planned an assault prior the colonel’s murder on January 21.

The authorities are holding Joel Celado Batista, José Luis Celado Collado, Gregory José Arias Ozuna and Eddy Manuel Carvajal Acosta, alias “El Guardia,” charged with having planned to steal a gold chain from the officer on January 14, but didn’t carry out “because there were many people in the place.”

On the case, Police chief Jose Polanco and Santo Domingo province prosecutor Perfecto Acosta reiterated that the murder resulted from the holdup to steal Casilla’s gold chain, which was sold for 54,000 pesos.