Murder suspect caught unintentionally

MEDAN, North Sumatra (JP): Medan police have unintentionally caught a man suspected of shooting North Sumatra Supplier Association chairman Bekman Hutabarat, after he was apprehended for stealing a truck on Thursday.

The 27-year-old Sabaruddin, who is now being detained at the Medan Baru Police subprecinct for stealing a truck carrying candy, told police that he shot Bekman on Aug. 14 for Rp 20 million promised by two men identified as Alex and Jimmy, a police investigator said on Saturday.

The officer said that Sabaruddin stole the truck on Jl. Sunggal Deli Serdang on Thursday morning, letting the driver Saparudin escape unharmed.

Saparudin then reported the theft to local police, who arrested Sabaruddin in the evening.

The surprise confession from Sabaruddin was a relief to police, who had no leads in the Bekman attempted murder case.

Quoting Sabaruddin, the police officer, who requested anonymity, said that the suspect did not know Alex and Jimmy well.

"It was a friend who introduced the suspect to Alex and Jimmy," the officer said, without identifying the suspect's friend, who is now wanted for questioning.

"Alex and Jimmy promised them both Rp 20 million each. Sabaruddin and his friend had each received Rp 1 million as a down payment for the service prior to the shooting."

Sabaruddin said he was riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by Jimmy when he shot Bekman at the latter's residence on Jl. Sei Bingei No. 4/49.

Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Badrodin Haiti confirmed the arrest of the self-confessed shooter and said that his officers would develop the investigation.

"We'll find more witnesses before we get the main suspects," he said.

Police still do not know the motive behind the shooting.

Bekman Hutabarat has now returned to Medan from Singapore, where he underwent an operation in Gleaneagles Hospital to retrieve the bullet from his spine.

The bullet is now being studied in Medan Police's forensic laboratory.

Police had earlier said that the shell of a bullet believed to be of an FN 32 hand gun was found at the scene of the crime soon after the shooting.

Police are now still working hard to identify the person who shot Sion Ginting, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle member of the Tanah Karo regency legislative council. He survived the attack. (42/09)