Dead Saudi citizen a victim of robbery

Dead Saudi citizen a victim of robbery

JAKARTA (JP): The Saudi citizen who was found dead at a Central Jakarta hotel last week was a victim of robbery, the police concluded here yesterday.

Based on preliminary questioning and on-the-spot investigation, police believe Abdul Karim al-Mubarak, 55, was killed by people who robbed him in his room at Hotel Karya II on Jl. Raden Saleh.

"We've learned that the Saudi tourist was a rich man and based on the evidence found at the scene, the people who killed him intended to acquire his cash and other valuable items," city police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar told reporters.

He quoted a friend of Karim's as saying that the victim was a former prosecutor in Bahrain.

"We also found bank deposit certificates issued by the Bank of Bahrain in his room," he added.

Latief, however, refused to go into detail about the estimated number of robbers involved.

"We have yet to find strong indications to name any suspect and we are currently studying the only fingerprint we found on the telephone."

He added that the telephone had been disconnected during the robbery.

Karim was found with three severe stab wounds on his chest at around 11 a.m. last Friday.

According to earlier reports his body was found covered by a blanket, while a towel had been stuffed in his mouth. Blood was found scattered around the scene.

"When the police came, they found that almost all of the victim's belongings were laid out messily across the table," said the spokesman. "And the things left behind by the suspects were mostly of little value," he said.

The police have yet to determine the amount of money stolen.

Until yesterday, officers had questioned at least 12 people, including five hotel receptionists, two bellboys, a security officer of the hotel, two repairmen hired by the hotel, a friend of the victim and Karim's latest visitor at the hotel.

"We found no evidence that the victim had admitted any girl to the room prior to or during the tragic incident," Latief said.

The hotel charges between Rp 50,000 (US$22.99) and Rp 80,000 ($36.99) per day for a single room.

According to Latief, a number of Karim's relatives from Saudi Arabia have been contacted by the Saudi Arabian embassy.

"They are scheduled to arrive here soon to take care of his body, which is still being kept at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital," he said.

The body was first found by a hotel security officer, Ahmad, after receptionist Sucipto asked him to take a look at Karim's room because he had experienced difficulty passing a phone message to the room.

After knocking on the door several times and getting no reply, Ahmad went to the back of the room to look inside, and he saw Karim lying with blood on his nose and a blanket covering his body.

The police have learned that Karim was on his first visit to Indonesia and had stayed at the hotel for six days prior to his death.

Latief said that Karim departed from Bahrain on June 10 and arrived here the following day. Before checking in at Hotel Karya II, he had spent a night at Hotel Jamrud, a small hotel on Jl. Cisadane, also in Central Jakarta. (bsr)