Businessman survives murder attempt
Businessman survives murder attempt
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A director of computer firm PT Ashaba in Jl. Juanda No. 7,
Central Jakarta, is in a critical condition after being shot on
Friday by two unidentified persons riding a motorcycle in a busy
street near his company.
The victim, Paulus Tejakusuma, was driving alone in a silver
Toyota Camry sedan when the incident took place on Jl. Angkasa in
Kemayoran, Central Jakarta.
Paulus is currently undergoing treatment at Husada hospital
for serious wounds to the chin, the right hand and the chest.
Police were still in the dark about the identity of the
suspects and the motive behind the bloody shooting, adding that
it was not a rubbery as there was nothing taken from the car.
"But, it is clearly the work of professionals as the target
was specific," Central Jakarta Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr.
Sukrawardi Dahlan told journalists at his office.
He said the police were questioning two witnesses -- a
business colleague of Paulus and a vendor on Jl. Angkasa.
The witnesses said Paulus, the father of two children, was
driving to his office from his home at Wisma XII, Blok C1/26,
Sunter Podomoro, North Jakarta.
When he stopped at the traffic light in front of Golden Hotel,
two unidentified men on a Honda Supra motorcycle suddenly
appeared from the opposite direction.
As the suspects approached Paulus' car, one of them got off
the motorcycle and fired two bullets at the sedan from a distance
of around two meters. The men then quickly fled the scene.
"The shooters must have used other people to identify the
target with a signal before they fired shots at the victim,"
Central Jakarta Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ricky F.
Wakano told The Jakarta Post.
In an effort to uncover the incident and arrest the suspects,
he said his office would summon other friends of Paulus for
further investigation.
According to Ricky, the hit men used a 38 caliber FN pistol --
the standard pistols usually used by police.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara
admitted on Friday that many firearms have been circulating
illegally among civilians.
"We suspect that those illegal guns are smuggled into the city
from the conflict-torn areas such as East Timor and Ambon (in
Maluku)," he said.
Makbul said the police have launched an operation code-named
Kilat Jaya to target those who have illegal weapons in their
possession.
Shooting incidents involving civilians in Jakarta in 2003
Jan. 3, 2003: Brig. Gen. (ret) Soenarso Djajoesman, 74, a former
ambassador to Malaysia, was shot in the leg by six armed robbers.
The robbers were later captured by police.
Jan. 29, 2003: Suprapto, 33, a security guard at the Plaza
Senayan, South Jakarta, was shot by two robbers who tried to take
away his motorcycle. He survived.
Feb. 9, 2003: Suratmi, a soup vendor, was shot by four
robbers attempting to rob her motorcycle in Grogol, West Jakarta.
She survived.
March 12, 2003: Juki, 45, an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, was
shot dead by robbers who took his motorcycle in Poris Indah, Batu Ceper,
Tangerang.
March 21, 2003: Three robbers grabbed a motorcycle belonging to
Achmad Yudi, 28, in Pademangan, North Jakarta, and shot in the air
five times.
March 22, 2003: Wandi Eko S., 26, was shot in the leg in an
aborted robbery by four men wanting to take his motorcycle.
April 28, 2003: Cokro Kusno Harto, 50, was injured after being
shot and stabbed by two robbers armed with a pistol and a sickle in
Jatinegara, East Jakarta.
April 29, 2003: Heri Basuki, 35, was shot in the stomach by six
robbers who targeted his motorcycle in Palmerah, West Jakarta.
May 8, 2003: Ade Sukarna, 35, was shot by robbers at his home
in Beji, Depok, Bogor.
May 9, 2003: Than Bun Tong, 45, was shot by robbers in Muara
Karang, Penjaringan, North Jakarta.
June 4, 2003: Wardi, a soup vendor, was shot by a customer,
named Omeng, as the former was slow to serve the latter.