Police arrest suspects in PT Kadera attack

Police arrest suspects in PT Kadera attack

JAKARTA (JP): City Police have named two suspects in
connection with their alleged involvement in a recent attack on
striking workers of car upholstery producer PT Kadera AR
Indonesia (KAI).

Outgoing City Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Harry
Montolalu said on Tuesday the two men, identified only as Husen
and Ismael, were arrested in Serang, Banten on Monday.

The attack took place on Feb. 29 at the company's plant in the
Pulogadung industrial estate in East Jakarta, claiming the life
of a worker, Kimun Effendi.

"These two suspects were arrested for their alleged role in
the murder of Kimun in February," Harry told reporters on
Tuesday, refusing to elaborate further on the identity of the
suspects.

"We identified them from several photographs which Kimun had
taken with them."

Kimun died from shrapnel wounds resulting from the explosion
of a homemade bomb in the attack which was conducted by hundreds
of men, some of whom were armed with sharp weapons.

Separately, East Jakarta Police detectives have found a link
between an Army officer and a Serang councillor -- reportedly the
parties behind the attack -- with the deputy general manager of
PT Kadera, Amrin Gobel.

The sources said the link was traced from several calls made
by Amrin through his mobile phone.

"City police will soon request for an official permit from the
West Java administration, in order to question the Serang
councillor. Once we get the permit, we'll waste no time in
questioning him," East Jakarta Police chief of detectives, Comr.
Agus Irianto, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Amrin was questioned by East Jakarta Police detectives last
week.

Agus had earlier said that police believed that the attackers
were hoodlums hired by a member of the PT Kadera management.

On Monday, several security guards of PT Kadera demanded that
Cakung police officers be investigated over the attack.

"Days before the attack, police officers were seen several
times in the PT Kadera area in Pulo Gadung, but strangely they
arrived at the crime scene several hours after the attack," a
security officer who requested anonymity told the Post.

"The incident occurred at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 29 ... but police
lines were only drawn out in the area, at 5 p.m. on the same
day."

East Jakarta Police sources had said that Agus and a few of
his men had gone to Serang last Thursday, to check out the
residence of a Serang councillor in Banten, with the hope that
they might find out further information.

"Agus and his officers were shocked with what they found ...
at least 100 people filled the house of the councillor, most of
them hoodlums, along with the Army officer. They seemed to be
holding a meeting. The councillor was well-known in the area for
funding martial arts training for hoodlums," a police officer who
requested anonymity said.

No arrest could be made on the attackers then, since the
police were clearly outnumbered. (ylt)