Police suspect couple killed out of revenge

JAKARTA (JP): A Singaporean national and his Indonesian wife were killed on Sunday morning in a vicious attack at their home in Rambut village, Pasir Gunung Selatan subdistrict, Cimanggis, Depok, south of here.

Police identified the couple as Hardi bin Aman, 39, and his wife, Elis bin Ulan, 26.

"One of Hardi's hands was cut off, while his back was torn open. His wife suffered almost the same wounds, but they were much more severe. Her lips were torn and the left part of her back was almost split open," Depok Police chief Lt. Col. Bambang Widaryatmo said several hours after the attack.

Police have questioned several witnesses but are still in the dark about the motives of the killer or killers.

Judging from the scene of crime, local officers are pursuing a vengeance motive for the brutal murder.

Bambang said his men were searching for murder clues.

"Nothing was missing from the house, which makes this murder look like revenge. Two outlets on the victims' roof were left open. We suspect the killers entered from there, and probably left from a back door," Bambang said.

He said Hardi had managed to propel himself to the front door of his house to scream for help.

It is unknown whether the Singaporean was able to reveal any details about his assailants to neighbors who rushed him to the nearby Tugu hospital.

Hardi died shortly after reaching the hospital.

A day earlier in Bekasi, east of Jakarta, a construction worker was killed at 10 a.m., allegedly by a colleague in Pedurenan village in the Bantar Gebang area.

The victim, identified as 26-year-old Andi bin Sanusi, died after sustaining severe slash wounds to the neck.

The suspect, Tuan bin Ahmad, 31, who was employed on the same warehouse construction site in Bantar Gebang, has been questioned by local police.

Jakarta Police spokesman Lt. Col. Zainuri Lubis said the incident took place after Tuan, who had repeatedly warned the victim to stop stealing steel bars from the construction site, became angry with his work colleague.

"He felt that after several warnings, Andi was still taking the steel bars without reporting it to the construction site manager," said Zainuri, whose office also supervises the Bekasi area.

"When Tuan confronted Andi about the matter, both of them became involved in a clash. Tuan used a machete to slash Andi's neck. The other workers who witnessed the fight ran to help Andi to the Bekasi hospital. But it was too late." (ylt)