Investigation on Levina's murder resumes

Investigation on Levina's murder resumes

JAKARTA (JP): The North Jakarta police investigating the
murder of the six-year-old girl, who was found dead near her
bicycle at the Ancol dreamland in North Jakarta in March, have
started from the beginning again.

"In our new investigation we have started digging from the
absolute beginning. We have yet to show any progress but we
strongly believe there must be a connection between the murder
and the love affair of the victim's father," head of the North
Jakarta police precinct, Lt. Col. Edi Darnadi told The Jakarta
Post Saturday.

All witnesses related to the murder have been re-questioned by the
police, Edi said.

"All of them are available for questioning and we need time and
accurate material evidence before making aiming our investigation at
either a suspected plotter or murderer," he said.

Several weeks ago the head of the City Police Crime Investigation
Directorate Col. Nurfaizi told reporters that his personnel had
located a person believed to have played a role in the murder of
Levina Dwisy.

"We're currently focusing on one person (in relation with the
murder of the girl)," Nurfaizi claimed. Unfortunately, "the one
person disappeared without a trace when police raided his/her
place," he added.

Levina Dwisy, second of three children of an ethnic Chinese
bicycle shop owner, left her house on Jl. Pantai Sanur in the Ancol
Timur real estate complex on the morning of March 24.

Wearing her pajamas, the little girl rode her bike to try and find
her parents who were on their morning exercise routine. It was the
last time she was seen alive.

The next morning Levina's body was found under bushes near a
temple outside the defunct Ancol race track with her bicycle nearby.

Her attacker had apparently used her clothes to strangle her.

There is no evidence that the girl was raped before her death.

According to the deputy chief of the crime investigation unit of
the North Jakarta police precinct, First Lt. R. Rasyidi, the autopsy
report issued by the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital states that
a blunt object had been inserted into the vagina of the little girl.

Hired killers

Local police detectives who first handled the case believe the
kindergarten student was murdered by hired killers paid by a lover
of the girl's father.

Edi said: "It's not a good idea to accuse someone with no
evidence. Moreover, the investigation on this case has yet to be
completed, but I wouldn't go so far as to say his lover had no role
in the killing."

The officer, however, admitted that the focus of their current
investigation is the lover of the victim's father.

"At least we have collected more information from her and her
relatives, meaning that we can start the investigation from here,"
he said, but refused to give details.

Previously, at least 13 people were questioned including two
fishermen living nearby, the housemaids and the driver of the
victim's family as well as the security guards at the housing
complex where the deceased's parents live. (bsr)