AN Italian investor killed by thugs in the exotic Bofa estate was strangled to death, a post-mortem report has revealed. The post-mortem conducted at Pandya Memorial Hospital in Mombasa on Saturday confirmed that Mario Blum, 68, was strangled.

This contradicted earlier reports by police that his death was as a result of suffocation due to pieces of clothes inserted into his mouth. Mario died on Thursday night after a six man gang attacked him and his associate Primo Serstoristio, 72, at their Kilifi house.

Primo suffered minor bruises on the mouth and was treated at an Italian clinic in Malindi and discharged but was later rushed to the clinic again on Sunday after he developed a swollen cheek.

According to Primo, the two have lived in the country for the last 10 years and have been attacked three times. "We first settled in Malindi before moving to Ukunda after thugs broke into our Malindi house. In Ukunda we were attacked again and we then moved to Bofa in Kilifi," he said.

He said the thugs broke in demanding for money before making away with five phones, four from the Italians and one from the security guard, and Sh2,500.

So far police have made no arrests in connection to the incident. Blum was cremated on Saturday at the Hindu Crematorium in Buxton in Mombasa. "We would have loved to transport his body to Italy but his wish was that we cremate him," said his brother Renato Blum.