Police to arrest Yorrys for another case
JAKARTA (JP): Police have announced that they plan to arrest Yorrys Raweyai of the Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, wanted for his alleged involvement in the mysterious death of a male servant last year. Yorrys is currently believed to be in "hiding" in Singapore.
The servant is believed to have kidnapped and killed the two- and-a-half-year-old son of his employer, Cornelius Simandjuntak, the secretary of North Jakarta chapter of Pemuda Pancasila in September last year.
The head of the General Affairs Unit of the Crime Investigation Directorate at the City Police Headquarters, Lt. Col. Gregorius Mere, told The Jakarta Post and Republika yesterday that Yorrys, the day-to-day chairman of the organization, is believed to have played a role in the servant's death.
"Several weeks ago we were waiting for his arrival from Dili, East Timor, at the Soekarno-Hatta airport in order to detain him," Mere said. "But we learned that he had probably first snuffed out our plot and then decided to get off the plane, most likely during a stopover in Denpasar."
Yorrys was in Dili with Pemuda Pancasila Chairman Yapto Suryosumarno to attend the inauguration ceremony of the organization's branch office.
"But we only saw Yapto get off the plane," Mere said.
The servant, identified as Djasman, 23, is believed to have kidnapped Simandjuntak's son, Jonathan, on Sept. 7 and to have killed the boy on the next day by tightening a strap around the little boy's neck. Jonathan's dead body was found by passer-bys in a school ditch in Depok, a suburb southeast of Jakarta.
On Sept. 11, police announced that they arrested the suspect, who confessed about the killing because he was angry with his employer's brother for always reprimanding him. At that time, police claimed that Djasman was caught at around 9.30 p.m. while sleeping in an open corridor at a department store near the Pasar Minggu terminal in South Jakarta.
Almost one month later, on Oct. 8, police announced the death of the servant on Oct. 1 at the Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta. Police told reporters that Djasman died due to severe injuries incurred before the arrest. Police said the servant was already seriously wounded and was missing one of his ears when he was transferred into police custody by a group of people who found and reported the sleeping suspect in Pasar Minggu.
"With his death, the Depok kidnap-murder case must be closed as stipulated by law," City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar said at that time. He refused to comment on allegations that the servant had been "borrowed" by personnel of Pemuda Pancasila "to teach the suspect a lesson."
More cases
Based on preliminary investigations, Mere believed that Yorrys, an influential figure of the youth organization with ties to the ruling Golkar political party, has played a part in Djasman's death.
Mere gave no further details about the police investigation.
In addition to his alleged role in the servant's murder, the West Jakarta District Court has also asked police to bring Yorrys to his next court date, when he is to be tried on gambling charges. He has failed to appear before the court twice, claiming ill health.
According to Mere, Yorrys has probably moved from since his last stop in Denpasar, afraid to show up in Jakarta.
According to informed sources, Yorrys is now believed to be in Singapore accompanying his ailing child.
"Don't worry, I think we'll get him soon," Mere pledged without giving any details about his personnel's new plan to arrest the suspect. (bsr)