Tycoon is held responsible for death of business rival

PROPERTY baron Nicholas van Hoogstraten was held responsible by the High Court today for the killing of business rival Mohammed Raja.

Mr Justice Lightman had been asked to decide whether Mr van Hoogstraten was directly involved in Mr Raja's death, despite having been cleared of the criminal charge of manslaughter.

Mr van Hoogstraten was not present or legally represented when the accusation was made against him at a six-day hearing last month.

Mr Raja, 62, was in the process of suing Mr van Hoogstraten over a business deal at the time of his death at his home in Sutton, south London, on July 2, 1999.

His killers, Robert Knapp and David Croke are serving life for murder.

Mr van Hoogstraten, 60, was sentenced to 10 years in 2002 for manslaughter, the conviction later quashed by the Court of Appeal.