One person killed in payroll robbery
Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Surakarta, Central Java
Four armed robbers shot and killed the driver of a car carrying executives of local tap water company PDAM on Friday, before making off with Rp 669 million.
Three other people were injured in the robbery, including a policeman who was escorting the executives from Bank Pembangunan Daerah, where they had just withdrawn the money to pay company employees.
The robbery took place at 11 a.m. in front of Muhammadiyah Hospital on Jl. Ronggowarsito. Onlookers at first thought the incident was simply a traffic accident, after the car slammed into a tree before coming to a stop.
The three people injured in the robbery are being treated at Muhammadiyah Hospital. The body of the driver, Joko Mursito, was released to his family.
Witnesses and police said Second Brig. Suprianto, who was escorting the vehicle, fired at the robbers after they killed Joko. However, when the vehicle crashed into a tree the police officer was momentarily stunned and the robbers shot him.
Two other people also were shot in the robbery -- a treasurer from the tap water company, Totok Kristianto, and Wahyono, a security guard at the hospital who came to the aid of the victims.
Wahyono, who was shot in the leg, said the four robbers were riding on a Yamaha RX King and a Suzuki Shogun motorcycle. They carried handguns and fled west.
The vehicle carrying the executives was riddled with bullet holes, and the front of the car was destroyed from crashing into the tree.
As a result of the robbery, PDAM employees will not be paid until next week.
Surakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Hasyim Irianto expressed concern over the incident and said he would soon set up a special task force to capture the criminals.
"It is brutal and savage," he said during a visit to the victims.
Hasyim said the robbery was thought to be related to a similar incident on July 21, when a group of four armed men robbed employees of a gas station owned by PT Rosalia Indah in the area of Palur in Surakarta.
The robbers shot the driver of the vehicle carrying the employees before fleeing with Rp 200 million.
The robbery on Friday was the fifth major crime in Surakarta since last May involving firearms.
One of these robberies targeted the offices of a cooperative on Jl. Juanda, causing losses of at least Rp 214 million. Three security guards were shot during the robbery.