Herbal drink-seller killed by police

JAKARTA (JP): A seller of jamu (herbal drinks) was beaten to death on Wednesday night, allegedly by an angry officer of the National Police elite mobile brigade (Brimob), in front of a police dormitory at Brimob Headquarters in Kelapa Dua, Depok.

The corpse of Syahrial, 22, lay at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) morgue on Thursday, was marked with bruises and had yet to be examined by forensic doctors.

According to witness Second Pvt. Samuel, Syahrial usually sold his drinks to police officers outside a police dormitory at Brimob Headquarters.

On Tuesday night, Samuel said, Second Pvt. Nyoman had been drunk and had vomited on the spot where Syahrial usually sold his drinks. The act led to a squabble, but nothing more, Samuel said.

The next day, Samuel said, Nyoman apparently realized his mistake and had gone to apologize to Syahrial.

"However, Syahrial had two Brimob officers standing beside him, on Wednesday night. This made Nyoman very angry. He probably felt that he had come to apologize for his behavior, but instead, Syahrial had ratted on him," Samuel told reporters.

"So, Nyoman began to beat Syahrial, very badly. Syahrial tried to escape and reached our security post...I was working at the post that night so I saw the incident. We tried to rush Syahrial to the hospital, but he died on the way."

There was no information made available about the two other Brimob officers.(ylt)