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)