Five more arrested for murder of Army sergeant

Five more arrested for murder of Army sergeant

JAKARTA (JP): Another five men have been arrested for the
murder of Army officer First Sgt. Moh. Irsal Rumalian at Hotel
Sentral, Central Jakarta, on March 24, police said yesterday.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the five
suspects were captured between April 1 and April 12. He refused
to name them.

"The suspects said they killed Irsal because they had a grudge
against him.

Suspects

He said there were nine suspects accused of Irsal's murder.
Two were arrested late last month, while the other two are still
at large.

Two suspects, identified as Empic Pelu, 26, and Emus
Lekahena, 24, allegedly admitted taking revenge and murdering
Irsal because the victim had stabbed their friend, Temmy.

Empic and Emus, who were arrested in East Jakarta and Bekasi,
claimed that Irsal stabbed Temmy at Menteng Hotel in Gondangdia,
Central Jakarta, several days before the murder.

It was unclear whether Temmy had ordered the suspects to kill
Irsal in revenge, Aritonang said.

"We are still searching for Temmy to obtain his statement
about Irsal's attack on him."

An officer from the topography unit at Army Headquarters,
Irsal was killed in the morning of March 24 after he picked up
his girlfriend, Irma Novianti, from the Marimba discotheque in
the basement of Sentral Hotel.

Witnesses said the mob had waited in five cars parked in the
basement, and they attacked Irsal as soon as he left the
discotheque with Irma.

The seven suspects will be charged under Article 340 of the
Criminal Code on murder. They may face a maximum of 20 years in
jail if found guilty as charged. (edt)