Foreigner suspected of murder, detained

JAKARTA (JP): A 26-year-old woman was found dead in a corridor on the 12th-floor of a five-star hotel in Central Jakarta yesterday morning.

Several hours later, city police detained an Indian businessman, identified only as CJ, for allegedly killing the woman, identified as Wati, after police learned that a pillow case found near the dead body had come from CJ's room.

CJ checked out of the hotel at 10:27 a.m., while a hotel employee told police that the guest had earlier planned to leave at 3:00 p.m.

Newly-appointed City Police Spokesman Lt. Col. Iman Haryatna told reporters yesterday that detectives had confiscated one of the hotel's towels from CJ, holder of Indian passport A 7730735. CJ is a textile businessman living in Malaysia, Iman added.

He said that the detectives had found fingerprints, blood stains and sperm as evidence, but he refused to reveal from where it was collected.

The National Police Forensic Laboratory officers are still examining the fingerprints, blood stains and sperm.

"The investigation has yet to be completed. Nobody has become a suspect so far," Iman said.

Wati was found dead by a hotel security guard at around 7:45 a.m. near the emergency exit stairs on the 12th floor of the 21- floor tower behind the main hotel. She had wounds on her face and neck.

Police also found blood under her nails.

Her body is currently being examined at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital.

Lt. Col. Erwin MP from the forensic laboratory told reporters at the crime site that the victim might have been strangled.

Several documents retrieved from Wati's body identified the victim as a student residing at Kampung Bintaro in Pasanggrahan, South Jakarta.

Iman said that police also found an attendance list of sales persons of Etienne Aigner products in her pocket.

A trail of blood from the 10th floor emergency stairs led to the place where Wati was found.

Police found the Indian national at the Tamara Tower building on Jl. Sudirman, South Jakarta at around 2:30 p.m, Iman said.

He was planning to leave for Malaysia by plane late in the evening, the spokesman added. (bsr/05)