Australian attacked at JSX by mistake

JAKARTA (JP): An Australia national suffered a light injury on the back of his head after being hammered in the lobby of the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) building in South Jakarta on Tuesday by a local businessman, who mistakenly identified the victim as the one who had defrauded him of Rp 200 million.

The victim, Laurence Grant Carey, 52, received medical treatment at MMC hospital in Kuningan, South Jakarta and was questioned later at the South Jakarta police precinct, where Go Tek San, 34, was being detained.

Police officers at the precinct said that they are still investigating the case.

Tek San, who lives at Vila Kapuk Mas housing complex, told reporters that he thought the Australian was Jhon.

"I gave Jhon some Rp 200 million in a foreign currency in 1998 and -- under an agreement -- asked him to double the money at the stock exchange," he said.

But Jhon disappeared. Then he was told that Jhon was working for a firm at the JSX building.

"I tried to force him (Laurence) to return my money, but he refused," he said.

He then hit the victim with a hammer, which he just bought from a nearby kiosk on Jl. Sudirman.

According to Laurence's friends, the Australian is a partner at financial consultants, Ernst and Young: Hanadi, Sarwoko and Sandjaya.

A security guard, Sudradjat, recalled that Laurence did nothing at first, but screamed after the sudden attack. (asa)