Man beaten for robbery

A man was beaten black and blue by an angry mob Saturday evening for robbing and injuring a participant of "Australia Today Indonesia 94".

Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, spokesman for the city police, said a man, simply identified as a "foreigner" was robbed and injured by a criminal identified as Roni at around 9 p.m. in front of the Ratu Plaza shopping center, Central Jakarta.

The crowd, who saw the incident, got angry and then beat up the thief, Latief said.

Police, who arrived on the scene after being told of the incident, found Roni already in critical condition. He was then driven to the Kramat Jati police hospital in East Jakarta for medical treatment.

Latief added that records regarding the identity of the victim were based on information received by police from members of the crowd.

Meanwhile Miriam Tulevski, a member of the public relations staff for "Australia Today Indonesia 94", told The Jakarta Post that a participant of the promotional event had been robbed and injured Saturday evening at around 9 p.m.

Tulevski identified the victim as Norm Lavis from Adelaide, an official from the Coca Cola Corporation, which is one of the major sponsors of the event.

However she said the incident happened in the parking lot of the Century Park Hotel, not in front of Ratu Plaza shopping center as was stated in police reports.(jsk)