7 questioned over mosque murder

JAKARTA (JP): Police are still investigating the murder case of a mosque caretaker, who was found dead on Saturday morning at the Al-Jihad Grand Mosque compound on Jl. H. Juanda in Ciputat, South Jakarta, a police chief said on Sunday.

South Jakarta Police Detectives Chief Capt. Rycko Amelza Dahniel said seven people had been questioned in connection with the death of Abdul Halim, 65, who was found dead at 1:30 a.m. in his bedroom at the mosque.

"We have questioned some people, including the victim's business friends," Rycko said.

He said that besides working as the mosque caretaker, Halim also did business as a car broker. Police are investigating all factors they believed to be linked to the murder, he said.

He apparently died from severe head injuries. Local residents found Halim's body when they saw a fire in one of the rooms in the mosque and went to extinguish it, Rycko said.

"The killer apparently tried to erase his trace by burning the room and the victim before escaping," he said.

The fire only damaged a curtain and a wardrobe in the bedroom, he said.

Rycko said that based on foot prints found in the room, police believed the murder was committed by just one man.

He said the killer beat Halim with a blunt object at the mosque's office before dragging the Madura-born victim to his bedroom.

Police suspected that the case was also linked to a robbery, as a charity box kept by the victim, believed to have contained Rp 150,000 (US$20), was found empty, he said.

He said the killer possibly intended to take Rp 6 million in cash of zakat obligatory alms kept in the drawer in the office, but he could not locate it.

Rycko quoted the mosque's board executive Witarya Permana as saying that the money was to be spent on education and clothes for some orphans during the Idul Fitri celebration.

Meanwhile, the morgue at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital received two bodies, believed to be victims of murders on Sunday.

The first body was identified as Lany Lima, 65, a resident of Jl. Utan Jati, Pegadungan, West Jakarta, morgue employee Syafei said.

Syafei said Lany, a housewife, was stabbed to death in her home early on Sunday morning.

He said the second body was identified as Nurhadi Lamin, 19, a resident of Jl. Ujung Harapan, Bahagia village, Bekasi.

He said Nurhadi was stabbed in the stomach and chest in his residence at 2 a.m.

All the bodies have been taken by their relatives for burial, he added. (jun)