Golfer J allegedly taken to Malaysia a day after reported kidnapping
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Central Jakarta Metro Police have revealed that a woman with the initials J, previously reported as a suspected kidnapping victim in the Mangga Besar area, is believed to have left Indonesia for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, one day after the reported incident.
Chief of the Criminal Investigation Unit at Central Jakarta Metro Police, AKBP Roby Heri Saputra, said the information was obtained by investigators based on passenger manifests received by the police.
“The incident occurred on the 13th, and then on the 14th the person concerned was in Semarang before leaving Indonesia for Kuala Lumpur, based on the manifest we received, together with two other individuals who are known to be related to J,” Roby said in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Nevertheless, Roby emphasised that investigators are still looking into whether the reported incident truly constitutes a criminal act.
“We at Central Jakarta Metro Police are still carrying out a series of measures to determine whether this incident is a criminal act or not,” he said.
According to Roby, preliminary findings do support the account that someone forcibly took J to a car.
“It is true that there was an incident as reported, namely the victim, J, being forcibly taken to a car by four or five people,” he said.
Investigators have also questioned a number of witnesses who were at the scene. However, efforts to examine CCTV footage have not yielded results, as no cameras were found pointing at or recording the location of the incident.
Investigators are currently scheduling questioning of two relatives suspected of travelling abroad with J, including J’s father, to clarify the sequence of events.
In addition, the police are still probing the motive behind the reported incident.
To date, Roby said, investigators have found no indication of a ransom demand.
“As for the motive, we cannot yet confirm it. There are still several motives we are considering. However, so far there has been no information regarding any ransom demand,” he said.
Roby also revealed that the complainant, with the initials NA, who is a friend of J, submitted a written withdrawal of her report on Sunday (19/7).
Even so, he said, the investigation has not been halted.
“We at the Criminal Investigation Unit and the Women and Children Protection Unit have not stopped the investigation until we can ensure the safety of the victim and confirm that this incident is not a criminal act,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chief of the Women and Children Protection Unit at Central Jakarta Metro Police, Commissioner Rita Oktavia Shinta, said her team continues to coordinate with the Criminal Investigation Unit because the victim is a woman.
She added that, based on preliminary findings, her team has found no indication of violence against the victim.
“We at the Women and Children Protection Unit of Central Jakarta Metro Police are coordinating with the Criminal Investigation Unit to check on the victim’s condition, including her psychological state. What we have seen is that there has been no violence against the victim,” Rita said.