Alleged murderers of Japanese man nabbed

Alleged murderers of Japanese man nabbed

JAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested three of four men wanted in
the murder of a Japanese national in a taxi robbery in January.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said Herman bin
Murni, 29, Bakri bin Alyas, 31 and Dede Halimi Andika, 26, were
arrested late Tuesday.

He identified Dede as the owner of the taxi in which Yamamoto,
32, was stabbed to death and a colleague sustained minor injuries
on the night of Jan. 23.

"Actually, police have long believed that Dede was involved in
the murder because two days after the incident we found his
Mercury taxi at his home in Sawangan (just south of here)."

The cab was held at the Sawangan police subprecinct for almost
six months until the police decided to transfer the taxi to Depok
police precinct. Dede had remained in hiding.

"When he did not see his taxi at Sawangan (subprecinct), he
wrongly assumed that it was safe to leave his hiding place and go
home," Aritonang said.

Dede was caught at his house Tuesday at about 10 p.m. They
later apprehended Herman and Bakri, the driver who picked up the
Japanese men.

The men admitted to having worked together in the robbery
which ended in Yamamoto's death and minor injuries to his
colleague Okada, 49.

Another suspect in the case is still being sought, he added.

The incident occurred in the Cinangka subdistrict of Sawangan.
The Japanese were employees of a joint venture company, PT
Tusunaka Plastic Indonesia, in Bekasi, West Java.

Police said Yamamoto was the first foreigner to die due to
crime this year.

Yamamoto died at the scene from severe stab wounds to his
chest and neck. Okada suffered minor injuries to the palms of his
hands.

The two men were robbed on their way home after visiting a
karaoke pub in Blok M, South Jakarta. The robbers made off with
Rp 3 million in cash and a gold ring.

In January, Aritonang said the taxi driver allegedly picked up
his accomplices on the way to Kemang in South Jakarta. (edt)