Major's murder not premeditated: Gen. Banurusman
Major's murder not premeditated: Gen. Banurusman
JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman
Astrosemitro said yesterday that preliminary investigations
indicated that last week's murder of a police major had not been
premeditated.
"On the basis of eyewitnesses' accounts, the incident occurred
spontaneously because the suspect was unable to control his
emotions," he said of the Friday's killing of Maj. Noenang Kohar,
chief of the Pademangan police subdistrict in North Jakarta.
Banurusman told reporters that investigators were still cross-
checking the accounts provided by eyewitnesses, including drivers
of bajaj (small three-wheeled passenger transport vehicles) and
bystanders.
Other police sources said yesterday they were still in the
dark about who murdered the former head of the drugs unit of the
narcotics division of the city police crime investigation
directorate.
"The investigation is still going on," deputy city police
chief Brig. Gen. Hamami Nata said separately yesterday.
According to City Police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang
Permantoro, police interrogators are still questioning a number
of witnesses to collect more detailed information.
Bambang brushed aside press reports that the suspect was a
member of the Armed Forces (ABRI).
Maj. Noenang, 38, the newly-appointed head of the Pademangan
police, was fatally stabbed by a passenger of a bajaj on Jl.
Wisma Jaya, East Jakarta, on his way home from his office at
approximately 7 p.m. last Friday.
On the basis of the scene of the crime, the way in which the
suspect stabbed the officer and the type of the knife used to
kill Noenang, several reporters have speculated in the local
press that the killing might have been plotted and executed by an
ABRI member.
Bambang rejected unconfirmed reports that the police had, in
fact, already caught the suspect but that they were keeping it
secret because the man they were holding was a member of ABRI.
"How they can come to such a conclusion if the investigation
is still going on?" asked Bambang.
Head of the Pulogadung police precinct, Maj. Soekiman, who was
assigned to lead the hunt for the suspect, told reporters: "In
the name of God, I swear that I we have not made any arrest."
Noenang, married with three children, quit his position only
last week as head of the drugs unit at the city police
headquarters.
Friday's murder is currently believed to have been the
culmination of a heated argument between the passenger and the
officer that ensued after Noenang's jeep brushed the bajaj.
The officer, wearing civilian clothes, is said to have stopped
and spoken with the driver of the bajaj, which was carrying one
passenger.
According to police sources, the passenger -- described by
witnesses as a "well-built" man -- was upset about the delay
caused by the accident, and then shouted obscene words at the
police officer.
Offended, Noenang eyeballed the angry passenger and approached
him only to be stabbed in the abdomen. The passenger then fled
the scene, as did the bajaj driver, identified only as "Iwan".
Police officers declined to comment on suggestions that the
suspect had killed Noenang because the officer had been rude to
him.
At the Pulogadung police sub-precinct station yesterday,
Sarmin, the bajaj's mechanic, said that Iwan had been "picked up"
by police on Saturday morning for interrogation. (bsr)