Four detained following stabbing of a Kuwaiti

JAKARTA (JP): Police have detained three local youths and a foreigner following the stabbing of a member of the Kuwaiti royal family at Hotel Mulia Senayan, in South Jakarta, early Saturday morning.

The head of city police detectives, Col. Gories Mere, said Saturday the three youths -- identified as Bram, Dav and Abi -- and Yusef Al-Raqam from Kuwait, were detained for questioning.

The victim, Ahmad Al-Sabah, is being treated at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta.

"One of the three local youths is the son of a youth organization executive," Gories said, referring to Abi, the son of Yapto Suryosumarno, one of the leaders of Pemuda Pancasila.

Gories said Ahmad and his friend Yusef had allegedly started the fight by teasing a woman who went to the hotel's CJ's Bar with the three youths.

The two groups became involved in an argument which ended in the stabbing of Ahmad, he said.

"Ahmad was allegedly stabbed by Bram," Gories said, adding that Yusef had punched a hotel security guard, Parjono, when the later tried to break up the fight.

Gories said police officers apprehended Bram, Dav and Abi at the later's house in Ciganjur, South Jakarta, and Yusef at the hotel.

Kuwaiti Ambassador Jasem Mubarak Jasem Al-Mubaraki told The Jakarta Post last night that the police information about the fight was untrue.

"The information on the matter, printed in the newspapers, was totally wrong," he said without elaborating.

Anthony LP. Hutapea, a lawyer representing the embassy, told the Post that there would be no comment until police could provide some clarification.

But Hutapea said the embassy believed Ahmad and Yusef were not to blame for the fight and that the argument was not over a woman.

"We need to check the information first. The problem is that we couldn't talk to Ahmad as he is still in the hospital, nor could we talk to Yusef at the police station."

Hutapea attended the police station yesterday but could not meet Yusef.

"We wanted to ask the police to postpone their detention of Yusef... but it seemed that the police could not give us a clear answer."

He was told to talk directly to the police chief if he wanted a postponement, he said.

"An officer named Capt. Dharma told me that the embassy should go straight to the city Police chief, Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata."

He said the embassy had contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek clarification on the matter. (cst)