Jealous man kills his best friend

JAKARTA (JP): A man stabbed his best friend to death because he could not bear to see the victim in a happy marriage with his ex-wife, a police officer said yesterday.

An assistant City Police spokesman, Maj. Nyoman Suriasta, said the suspect, Roba'i bin Barno, stabbed his victim with a machete nine times Sunday afternoon at the Cakung market, East Jakarta.

Nyoman said Roba'i was very jealous to see how loving a couple his ex-wife Muslimah and his long time friend Masrudin Hendronurdin, 30, had become.

Roba'i, 30, divorced Muslimah, also 30, about nine months ago.

Roba'i had allegedly planned to challenge the victim to argue and fight with him, Nyoman said.

"So he went to the market on Sunday, where his ex-wife sells fish every day. They started to fight and Roba'i stabbed the victim in front of his ex-wife," he said.

The suspect is being detained by North Jakarta police for further questioning. (cst)