Factory security guard kills one employee, injures three others

JAKARTA (JP): An employee of an East Jakarta chemical factory was killed and three others were injured yesterday when one of the factory's security guards went berserk while investigating the loss of factory property.

"The guard is still at large," said Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, spokesman for the city police, yesterday.

The gruesome incident took place at "PT Surya Makmur" factory in Tipar, Cakung district.

According to witnesses, an employee of factory reported Friday that the documentation and inspection papers of one of the factory's trucks had disappeared. The management then conducted an investigation into the matter but failed to identify the person who was responsible for the loss.

Latief said that Daryono, chief of the factory's storehouse, summoned eight drivers of the factory into a room, yesterday. When all of the drivers were assembled, Daryono used physical intimidation to try and ascertain which of the men were responsible for the loss.

However, none of them admitted to losing the documents.

Daryono then summoned Kasmari who worked there as a `special' security guard and told him to interrogate the drivers.

"Kasmari is not a satpam but a special employee recruited by the factory from an unknown source," said Latief, in an veiled reference to employment of military officers as `special' security guards by some companies.

In order to beef up their security system in tackling serious crime, some companies in the greater Jakarta area reportedly employ military officers as `special' guards.

Kasmari then staged a kangaroo court, interrogating the drivers one by one under the point of his bayonet.

It was reported that the interrogation ultimately led to some sort of physical confrontation, where Kasmari seriously injured four of the drivers with his bayonet.

One of the wounded men, identified as Husein, 30, died on the way to the nearby Tugu hospital.

Kasmari fled after the incident. Police have questioned six persons in their investigation, including Daryono. (jsk)