Probe into the murder of Sumarsana nears completion

JAKARTA (JP): City police detectives said on Sunday they were close to revealing the suspects and motives behind the murder of Sumarsana, a private employee whose dismembered body was discovered a week ago.

Police detective chief Col. Alex Bambang Riatmodjo announced the investigation could be completed within a matter of days.

Alex, however, did not want to divulge the preliminary results of the investigation into the case which has grabbed the attention of the capital.

"Wait for two or three days, then we'll disclose the results of our investigation," the senior officer said.

Alex said police had questioned 28 witnesses, most of whom were close friends of the 33-year-old victim.

He said police collected information and data about the victim and his last-known whereabouts from his family, relatives, girlfriend, housemates and coworkers at plastic households manufacturer PT Lion Star.

Police also questioned people whose names were found on Sumarsana's pager and cellular phone, the officer said.

"While we've been questioning the witnesses, we have also tried to establish the possible motive behind the murder," Alex said.

He said his early conclusion was the murder was the result of a personal dispute or, more precisely, was driven by jealously.

He said his detectives had narrowed their investigation to the victim's close friends.

"We have dropped the possibility of a rivalry with a coworker," he said.

Sumarsana was a quality control supervisor at the Lion Star factory.

Alex refused to answer questions about what police had uncovered about Sumarsana's sexual behavior.

"There are no facts about this. We'll see later in our investigation or in the murderer's confession," Alex said.

Police detectives questioned four men shortly after officers confiscated and examined Sumarsana's personal belongings, including a diary, a pager and a cellular phone.

The four were identified as Teng In, Agus, Mulyawan and Irvan.

Agus, Mulyawan and Irvan worked with Sumarsana at Lion Star; but their were no details on Teng In's relationship with the victim. He is suspected to have been the last person to see Sumarsana alive.

A source close to the investigation said that of the four men, two were suspected to be the murderers. However, the source refused to identify the names of the men.

"The two keep changing their answers when we ask them where they were on Saturday, Sunday and early Monday," the source said.

Sumarsana was buried by his family in their hometown of Klaten, Central Java.(emf)