Man Sets Fire to Kutai Kartanegara Communication and Informatics Office After Being Mocked
A man with the initials MFA (24) deliberately set fire to a meeting room on the 3rd floor of the Communication and Informatics Office (Diskominfo) in Kutai Kartanegara Regency (Kukar), East Kalimantan (Kaltim). The suspect’s desperate act is believed to have been planned the night before the incident. According to police, the man was resentful because he was frequently photographed secretly and made the subject of ridicule.
The Head of Criminal Investigation at the Kukar Police, AKP Elnath Splendidta Wafiq Gemilang, revealed that the preliminary motive for the arson was triggered by the suspect’s annoyance with people within the Diskominfo Kukar office environment. "The preliminary motive is suspected to be related to the suspect’s resentment towards several people in the office environment who, according to his statement, often took photos of him secretly and used them as material for mockery," Elnath stated on Tuesday (12/8).
Elnath said the desperate act had been carefully prepared by MFA. The suspect arrived at the Diskominfo Kukar office building on Jalan Pahlawan, Timbau Village, Tenggarong District, on Tuesday (11/8) at around 07.20 WITA carrying Pertalite fuel. "The suspect then allegedly poured the fuel behind the door of the meeting room and ignited it using a lighter. After spotting a witness, the suspect then ran away from the location via the stairs," he explained.
A witness at the scene saw MFA running down the stairs carrying a used fuel container. The suspect also triggered the alarm by pressing the emergency button in front of the IKP room before finally fleeing. "The fire was only successfully extinguished around 08.30 WITA after members of the public and officers struggled to put out the flames. There were no casualties, but one meeting room on the 3rd floor suffered severe fire damage," he clarified.
From the crime scene investigation, the Identification Team of the Kukar Police Criminal Investigation Unit secured evidence including three CCTV camera units, burnt material remnants, one 19-litre mineral water gallon, and a 1.5-litre mineral water bottle still containing approximately one litre of Pertalite. "The evidence has been secured for the purposes of investigation and further legal proceedings. Based on the crime scene investigation and initial examination, it is suspected that the fire was started deliberately," Elnath asserted.
MFA is currently being held at the Kutai Kartanegara Police station for intensive questioning. Police are still conducting a thorough investigation to fully uncover the sequence of events and ensure the legal process proceeds professionally and objectively.