Politician's son escapes from kidnappers

Evi Mariani, Jakarta

The son of Tri Yulianto -- a member of the Jakarta campaign team of presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and legislator-elect of the Democratic Party -- was kidnapped by several men and women on Tuesday afternoon.

The kidnappers called Tri five times on Wednesday on his home line and mobile phone, demanding that he resign from the campaign team if he wanted to see his son again. Tri also said that the kidnappers did not ask for a ransom.

However, Tri's sister-in-law, Besti B.M., told reporters that the kidnappers asked for Rp 300 million (US$31,915) in ransom.

The case is being investigated by the Jakarta Police.

Tri's son, 15-year-old Faisal Akbar, was walking on Jl. Pemuda, in front of Arion Plaza, East Jakarta, on Tuesday at around 1 p.m. when suddenly a blue Toyota Kijang minivan approached him. Several men and women forced him to get into the van.

Tri told reporters on Thursday that one of the kidnappers pointed something from inside his jacket and his son thought it was a pistol.

The kidnappers told Faisal inside the car that they were members of the Democratic Party. Later, they gave Faisal a drink that made him lose consciousness.

When Faisal regained consciousness later in the night, he was already at a guest house in Cisarua, Bogor regency. The kidnappers gave him another drink and Faisal fell unconscious again.

The boy woke up on Wednesday morning and found he was being guarded by three of the kidnappers. Later, two of them also left him alone with only one person watching over him.

The guard, identified only as Tono, then asked Faisal to join him to play billiards at a billiard hall near the guest house. After a while, Tono said he needed to go to the men's room, and strangely, left Faisal alone.

Faisal immediately grabbed the chance and escaped. He took a public minivan heading to Baranangsiang bus terminal in Bogor. From the terminal, he took a taxi back home to Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, and arrived safely on Wednesday at around 8 p.m.

The family immediately contacted the Jakarta Police detectives, and with Faisal's guidance they found the guest house in Cisarua later that night. All the kidnappers had gone but the blue Toyota Kijang was still parked outside the guest house.

Tri, his wife Susi Rahma and Faisal were questioned by the police on Thursday.