Police arrest suspects in taxi robbery
Police arrest suspects in taxi robbery
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The police announced on Tuesday they had arrested two suspects in
last week's robbery and murder of a taxi driver, and denied once
again that any officers were involved in the crime.
Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana
said they had arrested two people in the robbery. The suspects,
identified as Cepi, 21, alias Play, and Ropi, 21, were arrested
at their houses in Lebak, Banten province, on Monday.
"They have admitted that they robbed and killed Sarino before
stealing his taxi. We are detaining the suspects at West Jakarta
Police Headquarters," Ketut told The Jakarta Post.
He said the two suspects had given officers the names of their
two accomplices in the crime.
The suspects will be charged under Article 365 of the Criminal
Code on murder committed in the course of a robbery. The law
carries a maximum penalty of death.
The investigation into the crime began when a security guard
at a factory in Cikupa, Tangerang, found a body on Oct. 28 that
bore indications of strangulation. The unidentified body was
buried in Legok subdistrict.
On Sunday, the family of Sarino, 55, who had been missing for
several days, asked that the body be exhumed and taken to Cipto
Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta for autopsy.
The family identified the body as Sarino, a taxi driver
working out of Express Taxi's pool in Bintaro, South Jakarta.
Sarino was buried in Jagakarsa, also in South Jakarta.
On Monday, hundreds of Express Taxi drivers rallied to demand
the West Jakarta Police investigate the alleged involvement of
three police officers in the crime. The officers have been
identified as Chief Brig. Samsi of the Semanan Police station in
Tangerang, and Chief Brig. Budi Utomo and Adj. First Insp. Endang
of the Lebak Police precinct.
The drivers accused the three officers of using Sarino's
stolen cab, with a new police registration number and a paint
job.
The taxi is now parked at West Jakarta Police Headquarters.
The new paint does not completely cover the number of the taxi,
and several receipts from the taxi company are still in the glove
compartment.
Dissatisfied with police explanations, the drivers questioned
how a police officer could use a stolen car without realizing it.
Ketut, however, denied the three officers had anything to do
with the robbery and murder, saying the three officers did not
know it was a stolen vehicle.
He said Samsi borrowed the car from Budi, who had borrowed the
car from Endang.
"The car had been painted when they received it. Endang said
he did not know it was stolen when the four suspects gave him the
car. These officers had nothing to do with the taxi robbery,"
Ketut said.