Nicholas Van Hoogstraten, the controversial Brighton property tycoon who described ramblers as the “great unwashed”, has been arrested in connection with the murder of former business associate Mohammed Raja in Sutton, Surrey, two years ago.
Raja was found dead in July 1999, after what police described as a professional execution. In March, David Croke, from Brighton, was charged with Raja’s killing.
Mr Van Hoogstraten, who is building a £30m Renaissance-style palace with a mausoleum to preserve his remains, was recently fined £15,000 for illegally blocking a public footpath across his estate.
He has also funded Robert Mugabe’s Zanu-PF movement since the early 1960s. In a recent interview, he courted controversy by describing women as “chattels”. He owns large chunks of freehold in Brighton and homes in Cannes, Monte Carlo, Maryland and Florida and has admitted to having a mistress in each of his houses.
Mr Hoogstraten’s unconventional approach to business was demonstrated in the mid-1960s when he fell out with his partner, threw a grenade at his house and ended up in prison.
EGi News 17/07/01
