Official claims to be arson victim

MEDAN, North Sumatra: Achyar Simin, an official at Langkat regency administration, has claimed the fire that burned his house and killed his wife and daughter had been deliberately set by "unscrupulous people".

Achyar voiced his conviction that he was a victim of arson when North Sumatra Governor Raja Inal Siregar visited him at the hospital last Friday. Antara quoted an unnamed family source saying that Achyar saw someone entering his house on Oct. 6 at 2:30 a.m.

Achyar reportedly tried to pursue the person, but accidentally touched an exposed electrical wire, causing serious injuries to his arms.

He was reportedly found lying helpless in the sitting room while his wife, Kartini Siregar, and 16-year-old daughter Fitri Julianti, perished in another room of the burning house.

The electricity company said the fire was not caused by a short circuit.

Police have questioned 20 witnesses, including local guards who claimed that Achyar told them two months ago not to watch his house any longer because he had found other guards to replace them. (swe)