Eight men studied in Sembiring's case

City Police detectives are now focusing their investigation on eight different persons in relation with the August murder of noted ex-convict Johny Sembiring, 62, killed in an apparent inter-gang rivalry.

"All these people are trying to play hide and seek with us," said City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto here yesterday. "It's just a matter of time before we find who plotted the murder," he added.

Hindarto explained that not all of the eight "targets" were from debt collector firms.

"Do not force me to give you more details on this case now, they will be revealed in time," he said carefully.

In August, Sembiring and his driver Tumiran, 28, were kidnapped by a group of seven men in a van shortly after Sembiring left his office. Tumiran was released by the kidnappers the same evening in the Jonggol district, Bogor, while Sembiring was found dead the following day in the Cariu district, an area not far from Jonggol.

Sembiring's car was found burned in the Tambun district, Bekasi.

Sembiring, a repeat offender, had opened a debt collecting agency in the Tanah Abang area, Central Jakarta, before his death. (bsr)