Criminal a part of Timor protesters at U.S. embassy

JAKARTA (JP): City police said yesterday that one of the 29 East Timorese currently staging a protest at the American Embassy is a wanted criminal.

Speaking to reporters, City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto said the suspect, identified as Luis Maria Lopez, has been accused of being involved in the killing of a rival gang member in April, in the red light district of Bongkaran, Central Jakarta.

"After the murder of Halibu on April 22, we arrested five of his friends. He is the only suspect at large -- until we found him among the 29 Timorese at the embassy," Hindarto said.

According to the two-star general, the victim was killed due to a dispute over their respective territorial boundaries in the red-light district. Halibu was one of a number of well-known criminal figures in the Bongkaran red-light district.

Lopez's five friends were arrested in different areas of the city about two weeks after the murder.

The five detained suspects are identified as Hercules, Dino, Samuel, Pr and Toh. All of them are believed to be residents of Timor and Nusa Tenggara.

Asked whether the city police are planning to "pick up Lopez" for further questioning, Hindarto said, "We have no rights (to do that), but if the American embassy knows that there is a wanted murderer in their midst and asks (us) to get him out, that will be a different business altogether."

However, he did not say whether he has informed the embassy about Lopez.

Because the suspect is on foreign territory, his case will be handed over to National Police Headquarters, Hindarto said.

Along with the other 28 Timorese who entered the American Embassy compound on Nov. 12, Lopez has spent more than 10 days in the embassy car yard. One of the protesters has been rushed to hospital due to illness.

The other Timorese protesters are students, former students or jobless.

The students include Arlindo Freitas De Araujo Fernandes from the Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta, Domingos Sarmento Alves from the Christian University of Kriten Patra in Surabaya, East Java, Helder Manuel Fires Da Pidade from the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta and Mario De Sousa Gama from the University of Udayana in Bali.

The other protesters are identified as Abrao Mariano Santos, Anacaleto Berto Pereira, Angelo Minoti Soares, Angelo Eco Soares, Arsento Falcao, Antonio Ramos Da Silva, Bonaventura Abilio Moreira, Benigno Soares Da Silva, Carlos Da Silva Lopez, Cornelio Da Costa, Calestino Dautel Sarmento, Dominggos Joao Quintao Tilman Soares, Ilio Manuel Carvalho Alin, Jose Francisco Das Santos Bonaparte Soares, Jorge Jose Concalves De Jesus, Jorge Joao Lay, Jose Lopez, Jermano Francisco Gomes, Jitode Jesus Soares, Luis Da Costa Da Jesus, Lusiano Valentino Da Concicao, Liniq Belmiro Vilomino Freitas, Ortensio Icotos Nebos Carvalho Da Costa and Victor Tavares. (bsr)