Police witness confirms kidnapping allegations

Police witness confirms kidnapping allegations

JAKARTA (JP): A police officer taking the witness stand
yesterday in the trial of two men charged with the kidnapping and
torture of a businessman confirmed the roles of both accused in
the alleged crime.

Sgt. Ida Bagus Archana told the South Jakarta District Court
that the accused had been among those who kidnapped Sulaiman
Iskandar Ramli, also known as Hans, on May 12 this year.

Archana said he was on patrol when he noticed a group of men,
including both of the accused, Victor Laiskodat and Petrus Belen,
entering Hans' house on Jl. Kemang Selatan, South Jakarta. He
said he saw the kidnapping take place.

The victim was severely injured and his clothes were red with
blood when he came out from his house, Archana said.

The policeman said that neither Victor nor Petrus had come to
his notice previously.

"I could not do anything to the group since I was alone and,
furthermore, there was a police officer in the group," Archana
told the court, presided over by Judge Chemmy S. Usman.

Archana later identified the policeman as Lt. Col. Alfons
Loemau, who is currently awaiting trial for his alleged role in
the kidnapping.

Another suspect, identified as Yeri Saelan, is still at large.

Archana was able only to note down the registration number of
the car used by group, subsequently reporting what he had seen to
the Mampang Prapatan police sub-precinct, he said.

According to the prosecution, the group kidnapped Hans after
the businessman failed to pay his debts to a private bank.

Prosecutor J. Kamaru, however, did not say whether the
kidnappers had acted on orders from the bank in carrying out the
kidnapping and torture of Hans.

Kamaru said in the indictment that the kidnappers took Hans to
the Manari restaurant on Jl. Gatot Subroto, South Jakarta, where
debt collector John M. Palinggi was waiting.

At the restaurant Palinggi asked Hans to repay a debt of Rp
500 million to the bank, Kamaru alleged.

From the restaurant the kidnappers took Hans to Jl. Senopati
and left him on the street, the prosecutor added.

The trial was adjourned until Nov. 13, on which date it will
hear testimony from executives of the private bank reportedly
concerned. (29)