Police bust Kadera attack suspect

Police bust Kadera attack suspect

JAKARTA (JP): City Police arrested on Tuesday Amrin, a suspect
behind the bloody attack against workers protesting at his car
upholstery producing company PT Kadera AR Indonesia (KAI).

City Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Adang Rochana
identified the suspect as Amrin Gobel, deputy general manager of
PT Kadera.

"We have arrested Amrin, based on the testimony of another
suspect, Usman, who told the police that it was Amrin who had
instructed him and his men to carry out the Kadera attack," Adang
told reporters on Tuesday.

Usman, according to Adang, said that he and his men were each
promised by Amrin up to Rp 500,000 (US$43) per person to conduct
the attack. Amrin even gave them a down payment of Rp 40 million.

"Usman said, however, that Amrin had clearly specified the
attack should not claim the life of any of the protesting
workers," Adang said.

The attack took place on March 29 at the company's plant in
Pulogadung industrial estate in East Jakarta, claiming the lives
of two workers, Kimun Effendi and Rachmat.

Rachmat died of a severe head wound, and 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.

East Jakarta Police detectives also found a link between an
Army officer, chief sergeant Kino, and a Serang councillor --
reportedly the parties behind the attack -- and Amrin Gobel.

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

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

Agus said earlier the attackers were believed to be hoodlums
hired by a member of the PT Kadera management.

Meanwhile, Kadera security guards are still demanding 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 Pulogadung, but strangely they
arrived at the crime scene hours after the attack," a Kadera
security guard said.

The incident occurred at 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 29, but police only
cordoned off the area at 5 p.m. on the same day, he added. (ylt)