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)