BPPC staffer found dead at Tebet motel

BPPC staffer found dead at Tebet motel

JAKARTA (JP): A 62-year-old man was found dead, his mouth
filled with foam, in a room at the Wisma Tebet motel in South
Jakarta Monday evening.

The man was M. Nurdin Siagian, a staff member of the Clove
Marketing and Buffer-stock Management Agency (BPPC).

Police are still investigating the cause of death and have
questioned a number of witnesses, including a married woman,
identified as Dian Anggraeni Asmoro, 27, who allegedly spent
about one hour with Nurdin in room number 111 at the motel.

"We will do our best to find the cause of his death, but
things have become quite difficult now as relatives of the dead
have taken Nurdin's body from the Cipto Mangunkusumo General
Hospital (RSCM) without permission from the police," a reliable
police source, who asked to remain anonymous, said yesterday.

Police said when they came to the scene that the victim was
wearing his trousers.

Earlier in the day, the source said, Dian came to Nurdin's
office at the Wisma Antara building on Jl. Agus Salim in Central
Jakarta. He said she brought an application to work for the
agency, which is assigned by the government to handle the
procurement of cloves from farmers.

Sources at the scene said that Dian was accompanied by her
husband. However, police said that she was alone.

After giving her application letter to the personnel staff,
Dian was about to leave the office when Nurdin came up and
offered to give her a ride.

"During questioning, Dian said that she had known Nurdin since
last year when they met in Tegal, Central Java," the police said.

The two left Wisma Antara in Nurdin's Kijang Super minibus.
After driving around the city for several minutes, Nurdin
allegedly stopped car at the Wisma Tebet motel.

Employees at the motel said that the two came at 5:35 p.m.

Dian told Tebet police investigators that they did nothing
scandalous in the motel room.

She said after a few minutes in the room Nurdin asked a room
boy to buy hand lotion for him.

Dian, who is a daughter of a retired policeman, said she had
no idea why Nurdin wanted the lotion.

She said when the room boy was still on his way to get the
lotion, Nurdin entered the bathroom and spent several minutes
there.

"When he came out, he coughed loudly and his body was
shivering," Dian said. "While he laid his body in the bed, I got
out of the room asking for help."

She said one of the motel's security guards and a passing
woman entered the room but failed to save Nurdin's life. (bsr)