PKB politician killed by family member, says suspect
PKB politician killed by family member, says suspect
ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya
A family member masterminded the killing of a National Awakening
Party (PKB) politician in Lumajang regency in East Java, alleges
a key suspect.
Sunarto Edy Wibowo, a lawyer representing suspect Lora Anshori
in the murder case, said here recently his client had told him
that he and five accomplices had been promised Rp 30 million
(US$3400) from a man named Durahim "to phase out" Asmuni Ishak, a
Muslim cleric and PKB chief patron in the regency.
During police interrogation on Saturday, Sunarto said Anshori
was unwilling to speak freely to investigators but had confided
in him that he and five other suspects had been hired by Durahim
to "pose a serious threat" to the victim.
Durahim, who owns a gold shop in the town, claims to be
related to Asmuni as his wife and the victim's wife are sisters.
"My client told me during the police interrogation that
Durahim masterminded the crime after becoming involved in a
dispute with the victim over a plot of land on which a musholla
(small mosque) stands. It is located behind Asmuni's house.
"Anshori and five others initially planned to just threaten to
kill Asmuni. They didn't intent to kill him, but he died after
being struck on the head with a crowbar," Sunarto said.
Asmuni's murder created controversy when PKB claimed it was a
revival of a killing spree of Muslim clerics in which scores died
several years ago. Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid,
PKB chief patron, has condemned the murder as a tactic to foil
the 2004 elections. However, the police say the killing was
purely a crime with no political motive behind it, despite
nothing being stolen from Asmuni's house.
Meanwhile, Asmuni's brother, Nur Wahid, claims not to know
Durahim.
"As far as I know, none of us (Asmuni's relatives) have ever
been involved in a dispute over land near the mosque. Indeed, we
appointed our brother Asmuni, as the eldest among us, to be a
preacher in the musholla," Nur Wahid said.
The killing occurred on Nov. 27 when six men armed with
machetes broke into the victim's house and hacked him to death.
Asmuni's wife Siti Mutmainah survived but was seriously wounded
in the attack.
The police arrested Anshori in neighboring Jember regency at
the home of local resident Atmadin from Karang Tengah village in
Jembersari, Sumberbaru subdistrict.
The remaining suspects -- Hudi, Sipur, Mahbur, Dultasi,
Syaiful and Durasman -- are still at large.
Responding to the controversy, Lumajang Police chief Adj. Sr.
Comr. Syarief Nursal said the police would continue investigating
the case and probe the possibility that Anshori may have been
involved in the murder.