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.