Sussex millionaire Nicholas van Hoogstraten appeared in court today charged with murder.

The 56-year-old property tycoon appeared at Bexley Magistrates Court for three minutes accused of killing Brighton landlord Mohammed Sabir Raja.

He also faces charges of conspiracy to murder with Robert Knapp and David Croke.

Dressed in a double breasted suit, with a matching silver blue shirt and tie, van Hoogstraten spoke only to state his name, address and date of birth.

Mr Raja, 62, died outside his home in Surrey in July 1999. He had gunshot and knife wounds.

Van Hoogstraten was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey in London on Tuesday, October 2. He was taken down to the cells by a male and female security guards.

Van Hoogstraten, of Framfield, near Uckfield, was charged yesterday at Bexley Heath police station. He returned to the police station to meet bail requirement imposed following his arrest at his Courtland Hotel, in The Drive, Hove, in July.

Croke, 58, of Bolney Road, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, has been charged with murder and is due to appear at the Old Bailey on Monday.

Detective Chief Inspector Richard Heselden, of the Serious Crime Group of Metropolitan Police, said officers had yet to track down and arrest Knapp. He is from the Brighton area.

He said: "We are actively seeking this man in connection with this murder.

"Van Hoogstraten will appear at the central criminal court next week where we expect a date will be fixed for him to plea."

Father-of-six Mr Raja's body was discovered by his two teenage grandsons.

He built up an empire letting out bedsits in Brighton after moving to Sussex from Pakistan in the Sixties.

Once dubbed the town's most notorious landlord, he moved to Sutton in 1995.

He had about 100 convictions for breaching numerous housing regulations by letting out unfit properties.

Mr Raja's murder featured on BBC's Crimewatch programme in 1999.

Hoogstraten was born in Shoreham and educated at a Jesuit school in Worthing.

By the age of 22, he had more than 300 properties in Sussex which eventually grew to about 2,000 properties.

He began buying and selling properties with £1,000 he made from the sale of his stamp collection.

His property empire led him to being named Britain's 140th richest man with an estimated £400 million fortune.

He has five children, four sons and one daughter, by three different mothers.

He has more than £30 million of businessinterests in Zimbabwe, including farms and mines, plus homes in France, St Lucia, Barbados and the United States.