Police identify suspects in toll road robbery

JAKARTA (JP): Bogor police investigations into the fatal robbery on the Jagorawi toll road last Friday indicate that the victim's passengers and soldiers may have been involved in the crime.

Zaenuddin Lesmana, a 42-year-old private company employee, died after being shot during the robbery. However, Norman Lubis and Cece Tajudin who were passengers in Zaenuddin's car escaped uninjured.

Bogor police sources told Antara yesterday that preliminary investigation and the fact that the two passengers were uninjured indicated they may have been involved in the crime.

Zaenuddin, Nurman and Cece were returning from the Bogor BRI bank after withdrawing Rp 230 million (US$98,797) when a Kijang van intercepted Zaenuddin's car on the Jagorawi highway in Cibinong, police said.

Three men got out of the van and one smashed the rear shield of Zaenuddin's Hyundai Elantra sedan before firing shots which killed Zaenuddin.

Nurman and Cece told police they were not aware that the passengers of the Kijang van were robbers until one of them pointed a gun and ordered Zaenuddin to stop.

"It was very strange that the bullets hit Zaenuddin, who was driving, but missed the two on the back seat," a police officer said.

"The robbers then opened the trunk and stole one bag containing Rp 150 million and another bag containing land documents. A third bag, containing Rp 80 million, was left in the trunk," Nurman and Cece told police in preliminary questioning.

The robbers allegedly escaped through the Cibinong toll gate, not far from the crime scene. The Kijang van used in the robbery was abandoned in Cimanggis, Bogor.

The 42-year-old victim, the husband of a local TV star, was treasurer of his uncle's land appropriation business. He regularly withdrew money from the bank and Nurman and Cece had accompanied him three times on trips to the bank, police said.

According to Berita Yudha morning daily yesterday police found shells from an FN 45 gun at the crime scene and believed the suspects must be members of the Armed Forces.

The daily said that Nurman admitted to knowing the man who shot Zaenuddin, an Army sergeant identified only as S. The two other attackers were also believed to be members of the Armed Forces.

Bogor police are coordinating with the military police office to arrest the three other suspects, reports said. (sur)