Police determined to quickly solve Sembiring murder
Police determined to quickly solve Sembiring murder
JAKARTA (JP): Police have said they are optimistic that the
kidnap-murder case of ex-con Johny Sembiring will be solved soon
due to adequate evidence and the existence of a living witness.
"This is not so difficult a case so, I think, we can quickly
solve it," Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo, investigative director of the
National Police, told reporters yesterday.
The one-star police general said that the case was being
jointly handled by the Jakarta and Bogor police, with help from
national police headquarters.
National police spokesman Brig. Gen. IK Ratta said that police
are still intensively questioning Tumiran, Sembiring's 28-year-
old driver, the key witness who was freed by the kidnappers.
Tumiran is receiving special protection from the police.
Police also recovered Sembiring's BMW sedan at 7:30 p.m. on
Friday in front of PT Polyco on Jl. Hasanuddin in Tambun
district, Bekasi. The car serves as important evidence.
Regarding the finding of the car, Lt. Col. Latief Rabar, a
spokesman for City Police, told reporters yesterday that an
unidentified driver came by the Tambun police station that
evening and left after telling police that he saw a car burning
on the nearby roadside.
Tambun police arrived on the scene and found Sembiring's car
unlocked with the doors closed.
The car's backseat carpeting, rear section and part of the
front seat were burnt, but the fire had been put out either by
area residents or died by itself before police arrived.
Police observed signs of a collision on its rear bumper but
they found nothing inside the car, including the keys.
Tambun police only became aware that the car belonged to
Sembiring on Monday after Bekasi police came to fetch it as
evidence.
"It's clear that the car was burned as part of the kidnappers'
intention to destroy the evidence," Latief said.
Mystery
After all, Sembiring's murder is still largely shrouded in
mystery with the military flatly denying reports over the alleged
involvement of its personnel in the murder case.
Sembiring, 62, also known by his real name of John Farrel
Sembiring, had been an underworld crime figure since the 1950s.
Educated in a Dutch colonialist-run school, Sembiring who is
fluent in both English and Dutch, achieved prominence in the
national crime world during the 1960s. He was imprisoned several
times during this period.
In the mid 1980s, Sembiring left his life of crime and took up
work as a prominent debt collector and part-time evangelist for
inmates.
Sembiring was kidnapped along with his driver Tumiran, 28, by
a group of seven men around 5 p.m. Thursday on Jl. Tanah Abang
II, Central Jakarta. Sembiring lived in Kebun Nanas district,
East Jakarta.
Tumiran was later released later that evening by his captors
in Jonggol district, Bogor, while Sembiring was discovered dead
on Friday in Cariu district, an area not far from Jonggol.
Tumiran earlier told reporters the kidnappers had identified
themselves as servicemen, but Jakarta military commander Maj.
Gen. Hendropriyono stated Sunday that no servicemen were involved
in the murder.
Referring to Hendropriyono's statement, Ratta also insisted
yesterday that no Armed Forces members were involved in the
murder.
"The investigation is continuing but it is certain that no
military member is involved in the case," Ratta said. (jsk)