Medan shooting puzzles police

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Medan Police have yet to uncover clues relating to the shooting of Bekman Hutabarat, chairman of the provincial office of the Association of Indonesian Suppliers on Aug. 14.

Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Badrodin Haiti said on Thursday that police were still questioning witnesses.

"The motive for the shooting is still unknown and we have yet to focus (our investigation) on specific persons or groups," Badrodin said.

Police have found the shell of a bullet and confirmed that it was fired from an FN 32 hand gun.

The FN 32 is not used by either the military or police.

Hutabarat, 51, was shot by an unknown person at his residence on Jl. Sei Bingei No. 4/49, Medan, at 6:30 a.m. local time on Aug. 14.

Badrodin said that none of the witnesses being questioned saw the shooting clearly. "Therefore, we do not have details of the attackers."

M. Br. Pangaribuan, one of the witnesses, just stated that he saw two men on a Honda Astrea motorcycle approaching Hutabarat and shoot him while he was warming up his car. The rider was wearing a helmet while the pillion rider was not.

"It was the pillion rider who shot Hutabarat. But I just saw everything at a glance," Pangaribuan said, adding that he rushed to provide assistance seconds after the shooter escaped.

Hutabarat is being treated at the Gleneagles Hospital intensive care unit.

The team of doctors were trying to retrieve the bullet which hit his right arm and lodged in his back.

Another shooting took place when an unknown person or persons shot Sion Ginting, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle member of the Tanah Karo regency legislative council. Ginting was on his way home when he was shot. He survived the attack.

Police still have no leads on Ginting's shooting. (42/sur)