JAKARTA (JP): The city police strongly denied yesterday reports that the Metromini driver whose bus plunged into the Sunter river in North Jakarta on March 6 had been arrested.

"The man arrested in Dairi, North Sumatra, was not the wanted driver," Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar, spokesman for the City Police Headquarters, told The Jakarta Post late yesterday evening.

Earlier yesterday City Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto had made a similar denial, although at that time he gave a strong indication that they might have had the right man.

The accident, which occurred on March 6, took the lives of 33 of the passengers on board.

A spokesman of the North Sumatra police, Lt. Col. Leo Sukardi, announced yesterday that the suspect, RS alias Hornas Silitonga, was arrested Monday night at the Pasar Baru Umbul bus terminal in Dairi regency.

"At the time of the arrest he looked confused and said he was going to Medan," said Leo.

He added that the suspect had been taken to the Dairi police precinct and would be flown to the capital.

Chief of the Dairi police precinct Lt. Col. Soekarni Ismail said the suspect had been hanging around the bus terminal for two days, during which he refused to talk to people. This raised suspicion which lead to his arrest, said Soekarni as quoted by Leo Sukardi.

During questioning, Hornas confessed that he ran to North Sumatra after the deadly incident. He went to Medan and then to his hometown in Aek Nauli, Sipahutar district, North Tapanuli. The suspect spent two weeks there, his guilt haunting him and making him restless, said Soekarni.

"When he felt safe and thought people had forgotten the accident, he left for Dairi for a walk. But his presence drew the attention of the public who, in turn, called in the authorities." said Soekarni.

Leo Sukardi said the suspect is suffering from stress and is now under medical treatment.

Chief of the North Jakarta police precinct Lt.Col. Heru Susanto also denied reports that he had sent a team to fetch Hornas.

"How could there be such a team if there is no suspect?" he told The Jakarta Post yesterday.

Heru added that he had questioned the suspect by telephone last night.

"He didn't know anything about Jakarta, so how could he possibly be the wanted driver?" he asked.

Heru stressed that he would make an announcement if the police caught the suspect.

"I can't yet say he is the wanted driver. Otherwise it could lead to another incident," he said.

Heru was referring to a false arrest made on March 26 by police officers at the Tambun sub-precinct in Bekasi of a man identified only as SS.

Later the police admitted that SS was not the wanted driver because, in fact, he did not know how to drive.

The Jakarta police's denial of the arrest means there is one week left before the deadline on a Rp 25m reward for anyone who arrests the wanted driver.

Earlier, Soekarni said if the money really exist he would use it to build a number of traffic posts in Dairi regency.

The prize money was promised by Jakarta businessman Sugiono. (rmn/bsr/lem)