President's journey disrupted by 'rapist'

JAKARTA (JP): President Abdurrahman Wahid's motorcade was disrupted on Monday by the arrest of Nano bin Sumarno, who allegedly attempted to rape a woman in a police post on Jl. Sudirman in South Jakarta.

The arrest occurred on Jl. Sudirman precisely as the President's motorcade was passing along the city's main thoroughfare.

The incident began when police officer First. Sgt. Andana Sumantri approached the police post, located near a gas station next to the Hilton Hotel on Jl. Sudirman.

The officer, from the city police's Special Task Force, was assigned to the post as part of the security arrangements for the President's journey.

"The President was scheduled to pass along Jl. Sudirman from the Hang Lekir area at 2:30 p.m., after a function there. I was assigned to the post to manage traffic and safeguard his journey," the officer said at Jakarta Police Headquarters.

From Hang Lekir, the President's motorcade proceeded along Jl. Sudirman to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

As Andana approached, he heard a woman scream from inside the small post, often used by police officers to rest after directing traffic.

"I quickly got to the scene and found a man attempting to rape a woman. The man had already succeeded in lowering the woman's pants to her knees, while her T-shirt had been forced up around her neck," he said.

The officer said the suspect fled the scene upon being discovered. "He ran across Jl. Sudirman and I was nervous since the President and his entourage were going to pass at 2:30 p.m.," he said.

The officer gave chase to the suspect and succeeded in catching him. "I pulled him by long hair and dragged him off the street," he said.

The arrest disrupted the President's journey. "The President's motor escorts had already passed by the spot when (the suspect) reached the empty street.

"As I pulled his hair, I saw the President's car passing along the street, some 20 meters away from the spot," the officer said, adding that the President's driver hit the brakes.

The officer said the driver did not stop the vehicle, apparently confident the suspect would be removed from the street.

Meanwhile, Nano, said he was a fruit seller at Kramatjati market in East Jakarta.

"I was hanging out in the Senayan area, where I met the woman," said the 28-year-old Nano, adding that he recognized the woman as a fruit seller in the Senayan area.

Nano, however, refused to say whether he forced the woman into the police post or if she followed him willingly.

The woman, who refused to give her name, was taken to a nearby hospital for a medical examination. (asa)