Another foreigner murdered

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Just one week after an Australian citizen was murdered in Depok, West Java, a German citizen identified as Helmut Klein, 60, was found dead in his rented house on Jl. Bangka IID, Mampang, South Jakarta, on Monday morning.

A domestic helper, identified as Slamet, and a friend, Yudi, found Klein's body at around 7 a.m. on the second floor of the house with stab wounds to his back, neck and left arm.

Mampang police station chief Comr. Suzanna Saras said after checking the crime scene that several of Klein's belongings, including a laptop, camera and watch, were missing.

"After preliminary checks, we have concluded that the motive behind the murder was robbery. However, we are still investigating the case. We have identified no suspects so far," she said.

Suzanna said that police had sent the remains of Klein, a consultant with cable company PT NKT, located on Jl. Tendean, to the Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in Central Jakarta for an autopsy.

She said that they were also waiting for the results of forensic tests on evidence recovered at the scene.

However, a detective, who requested anonymity, said that the police suspected that the robbery was an inside job as no damage had been found on the gate, windows or doors of the house.

He also expressed surprise that many other valuable items, including a car and electronic appliances, had not been taken.

According to a number of sources, Yudi came to Klein's house before 7 a.m. to see Slamet.

As he already knew where Slamet's room was, he entered the house without knocking.

He was surprised to find Slamet lying bound and gagged on the floor of his room.

Yudi freed Slamet and together they went upstairs to look for Klein.

They found him lying on the floor in a pool of blood with his hands and legs tied. They then called the police.

Slamet told the police that he had been attacked in his room at around 4:30 a.m. He was sure of the time as he had just heard the morning call to prayer from a nearby mosque.

Last Thursday, an Australian citizen identified as Frans Louis Merre, 70, was found dead in his home in Tugu subdistrict in Depok, West Java.

Police suspect that his relatives of his domestic helper were involved in the murder.