No suspects yet in murder case

JAKARTA (JP): Thirty people have been questioned in relation to the mutilation-murder of Sumarsana, but police are yet to name any suspects, an officer said on Monday.

Those questioned were mostly relatives, close friends, and coworkers of the 33-year-old victim, whose dismembered body parts were found last Monday at two different spots -- Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta, and Tangerang.

"No one has been detained, they're still witnesses," city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said.

He said his detectives were still cross-checking the information received from the witnesses and trying to find evidence to support the information.

Noegroho, also a two-star general, said he was optimistic of finding the murderer of Sumarsana, a senior employee at PT Lion Star, a plastic household manufacturer.

Noegroho said suspects in the case could face life imprisonment if charged with violating Article 340 of the Criminal Code on offenses againts human life, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

"The offense (mutilation-murder) is beyond the limits of humanity," he said.

Separately, city police detective Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo said his detectives were continuing their efforts to locate evidence to match confessions made by witnesses.

"If we already have a confession from the suspects, we can immediately charge them without having enough evidence," he said.

Police sources said four people were undergoing intensive questioning at an unidentified place. The four, identified as Teng In, Agus, Mulyawan and Irvan, were believed to be close friends of the victim.

Agus, Mulyawan and Irvan were Sumarsana's coworkers. No details were available on Teng In's connection to the victim, though he is suspected of being one of the last people to see Sumarsana alive.(emf)