A high-society murder mystery involving the beautiful second wife of a Malaysian prince led to a rice planter being jailed today for 14 years over her death.

Mat Saad Mat Isa, 50, who originally denied murdering Hasleza Ishak, 26, pleaded guilty Tuesday to culpable homicide and admitted kidnapping her for a fee of RM5,000, the official Bernama news agency reported.

His lawyer, Manjit Singh, said that after abducting Hasleza o­n Oct 6, 2002 Mat Saad panicked after they were seen by two passing motorcyclists and gave her a "chop" with his hands to keep her from struggling.

"The accused thought that the victim was already dead and he o­nce again panicked and dumped her body under the bridge where her body was subsequently recovered," Singh said.

In passing sentence, the judge made reference to the payment of RM5,000 but the Bernama report gave no details o­n who offered the money for the kidnapping.

Four other men still face charges in connection with the case.

Former model

The prince's middle-aged first wife Raja Nor Mahani Raja Shahar Shah was arrested for questioning after the death of Hasleza, a former model and actress, sparking enormous interest in the local media. She was later released.

Both women married Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa, 62, second in line to the Perak state throne, with Hasleza joining the family just months before her death. Muslim men in Malaysia are allowed to take up to four wives.

The Perak royalty is among traditional Malay rulers in nine Malaysian states. The position of king is rotated every five years among the nine rulers. - AFP