Hindoro's death investigated

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives have started questioning a number of witnesses to the Tuesday incident which lead to the death of Hindoro Budianto, 52, a suspect in a multi-billion rupiah bank fraud, an officer said yesterday.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said the results of the probe into the death of the former chief commissioner of privately run Bank Perniagaan would be revealed in due course.

However, Aritonang refused to identify the witnesses or state the deadline for completion of the investigation.

Hindoro, who reportedly fell to his death from the eighth floor of Hotel Marbela in Anyer, West Java, was allegedly connected to a Rp 900 billion bank credit swindle last year.

Police said that he fell after police raided the hotel room in which he and his family were spending their vacation.

"He has been on the police's most wanted list since June, 1997.

"In a bid to avoid controversy surrounding his death, we need to find out whether he committed suicide or fell (when trying to escape the police) or because somebody pushed him," Aritonang said.

He did not disclose whether there were people besides the victim's family and police in the room at the time of his death. (edt)