Documents, cash stolen from hotel

JAKARTA (JP): A Liberian reported to the police that his passport, two Jakarta-Bangkok tickets and US$500 in cash had been stolen from his hotel room in Central Jakarta on Monday morning.

Speaking to reporters after lodging the report at the Central Jakarta Police station, John Richards, who refused to disclose his age, said he suspected that staff of the two-story Menteng I hotel played a role in the morning theft.

His suspicion was supported by the police as they found no damage to the door of the hotel room and strong clues that suggested that the crime was committed by strangers.

A reliable police source strongly believed that the theft involved employees of the nonstar hotel on Jl. Gondangdia Raya.

A security guard said the hotel always had guests from Africa and Middle Eastern countries.

According to Richards, who claimed to be a banker on holiday here, the hotel's employees had watched him for the last three days.

"One of the housekeeping boys knocked on my door at one or two o'clock in the morning, offering to clean my room. What for? Cleaning a room at that hour?" Richards alleged.

He also recalled that his telephone often rang in the early hours but there was no sound at the other end.

At 8 a.m. on Monday, he left his room on the top floor of the building to visit his friend at another hotel nearby. When he returned, he found that his suitcase was in disorder.

"I do remember that I locked my room. It was only 15 minutes, I don't believe it," Richards recalled.

"I don't care about my cash, my concern is my passport as I need it badly here," Richards said, adding that he was scheduled to leave for Bangkok on Wednesday.

Sadly he said that he had to go to Japan first to obtain legal documents as Liberia does not have any representative office here.

"But how can I get out of this country when my passport is somewhere with someone I don't even know," he said.

The case is now being handled by Central Jakarta Police. (emf)