AMSTERDAM - René Karamtali, the 29-year-old Surinamese who was found murdered in a sewer drain in Almere a week and a half ago, appears to have illegally run a security company, was a registered defaulter and had a substantial criminal record for violent crimes.
René Mohamed Nizar Karamatali tried to present his own company René Security as a neat business, but the judiciary had imposed a professional ban on him. Under no circumstances was he allowed to start his own security firm. The chief of police Flevoland, where 25 detectives are now investigating the murder, distrusted so much that Karamatali was not even allowed to join another security company as a security guard. Karamatali was found last Thursday when a sewage company was trying to fix a blockage under an Almerian industrial site. The Surimaner disappeared Oct. 18. A sleuth team searched for three days, particularly in Almere's de Vaart industrial area, where he had been for an appointment. The case was solved by chance a week later, when employees of a sewage company found the body. The investigators had to break open the street and reroute the sewer system to get the dumped man out of the thick sewer pipe.

On condolence websites, the bodybuilder is characterized as a caring guy. "He was a quiet, polite guy. When Rene came in, he would kindly give you a handshake before he started. And vice versa, of course. He always trained seriously and hardcore," writes a couple who knew him from the gym. Another friend: "I could always laugh with you and I could also tell and say anything to you. We also had so much fun among colleagues. I will never forget you. You were a good friend. May Allah forgive your sins and give you a place in paradise." In fact, the adoration for Karamatali is so great that two women, Sonaa and Chietra, are on the condolence register harrumphing over who was now the true love of the murdered Surinamese. Sonaa: "René and I have always loved each other and being jealous, I don't need that! And Chietra, if you really meant something to him you were present at his funeral. I didn't see you, nor did the family get any support from you! No on the contrary, you destroyed everything!"

Karamatali's employer, who does not want to be named for fear of the killers, also praised his slain employee as one of the best forces within his security company. "He worked here for about three years. René did sales and planning for us. Thanks in part to him, this company has become so successful," said the director, who fears the murder will have negative effects on his company. "We are a neat company. Next year we hope to get our seal of approval and iso certificate. René has set all that in motion."

But René Karamatali also had a dark side. Justice documentation paints a picture of a violent figure. Two years ago the police judge in The Hague convicted him of a death threat. In 2003 he had also been convicted by the Zwolle judge for aggravated assault. Less than three months before his death, he was summoned by the Amsterdam police for a threat. This month he received another acceptgiro from the Amsterdam court for paying 1,500 euros in legal costs to which he had been sentenced.

Because of his criminal record, the chief of police of the Flevoland Police Department did not accept Karamatali's application to work as a security officer for his Almeerse boss. Both Karamatali and his employer appealed, but the administrative judge in Zwolle put a stop to the application.

Despite the professional ban, Karamatali still started his own security company:
René Security. The one-man business, which employed 45 people according to Chamber of Commerce records, was illegal for another reason. Namely, Karamatali does not appear to have received a permit from the Ministry of Justice to run a security company. Ministry spokesman Ivo Hommes confirmed twice that Karamatali never received a permit. The "permit number" he mentioned turned out to be nothing more than the application number, this spokesman confirms.

However illegal, René Security was officially listed as a training company with Ecabo, the organization that issues diplomas for security companies. This means that the illegal guard Karamatali was allowed to train apprentices to become full-fledged guards. On Nov. 8, Karamatali received another newsletter about this for Ecabo-approved training companies.

At Ecabo, which visited Karamatali's small business as recently as 2006, no one knew about the permit rejection by the justice ministry. "On our last visit to Karamatali, he showed our auditor a 'permit' issued by the Ministry of Justice," he said. After several days of internal investigation, Ecabo yesterday candidly admitted that the Almeerder had no permit at all. His status as a training company had been wrongly granted to him. "He did not train apprentices. Had that been the case, he would have been checked again and thus fallen through. That does not alter the fact that we made a mistake."

Under the name René Security, he also dealt in alarm systems. In advertisements, the one-man company seemed like a hefty firm: "If you want more information, call one of our consultants," shouted

According to collection agencies, for years Karamatali drew a trail of financial misery. Companies and landlords had to pull out all the stops to get their money, right down to filing lawsuits and calling in bailiffs. The court in Lelystad sentenced Karamatali to the eviction of his rental property and the back-payment of just under ?9000 euros in rent.

At the office of Karamatali's employer, the mood is depressed. That he was the owner's right-hand man is evidenced by the fact that one of the two large desks on the second floor was always manned by Karamantali. The moment the director pours coffee, a brother of Karamantali slides in behind the murdered Karamantali's computer. "This is his first day of work," the security boss says in a soft tone. "He needs to be inducted to take over René's job. We will miss his brother very much. He has been of great value to us. Not for nothing was he always at the talks with the big clients when I negotiated with them. You don't let someone who has it in him to push your company to great heights walk away, do you? You cherish them."