Five people nabbed over maid's death

JAKARTA (JP): Four security guards and a director of a Goro wholesale store were arrested yesterday over the death of the director's maid at the Rajawali Condominium on Jl. Rajawali Selatan.

A police source said that Ar, a director of the Kelapa Gading Goro store, North Jakarta, was questioned after police found his maid, Taisiah, 51, dead. She was strangled with a shower hose in the bathtub of a vacant apartment.

Police suspect that Ar killed his maid, and the four security guards are implicated.

Ron allegedly locked Taisiah and her daughter-in-law, Sri, in his apartment for three days because he thought they had stolen jewelry and a coat. Ar had asked the guards to take care of them, the source said.

He said that Taisiah and Sri had been locked up in an apartment on the 26th floor. Ar rented the apartment for his second wife.

The two women had been moved to a warehouse on the first floor the following day and then moved to an empty apartment on the second floor Thursday where Taisiah had been found dead yesterday, he said.

Sawah Besar Police Chief Maj. M. Iriawan said the guards had let Sri buy food yesterday morning. After buying food, she was escorted back to the apartment by the guards. Sri and the guards found Taisiah dead in the bathtub.

Police, with a tracker dog, arrived at the apartment minutes after the security guards had reported the murder.

The dog had traced a scent to the security guards' office and barked at the guards, he said.

"Two other security guards, Harun and Ari were also arrested for their possible knowledge about the detainment of the women, while Ar was picked up from his first wife's residence in South Jakarta yesterday." the source said. (jun)