Six people quizzed over murder of Korean

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The police have questioned six people as witnesses in the murder of a Korean business consultant on Monday morning at his residence in Taman Kartini housing estate, East Bekasi, a senior official said on Tuesday.

"We've queried some witnesses, including among others, his housemaid, his driver, and several neighbors in our investigation into the homicide," Bekasi Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Joko Susilo told The Jakarta Post over the phone.

The deceased Korean man, Seok Hyung Lee, 61, was found dead early on Monday morning by his housemaid, Yetti, 18, and her brother Nuryanto, 34, who was also Lee's driver. There were several stab wounds to his head, body and hand, Joko said.

Joko said Lee had been murdered by people who were either familiar with the house or who had often visited it, as the police found no evidence of a forced entry.

"We've not yet determined what the motive might have been, as we are still collecting evidence," Joko said, citing that the police would also investigate Lee's company in search of more evidence.

According to Joko, Lee worked as a business consultant at a plant in the Bekasi industrial complex.

Lee had rented the house from November last year. Previously, from October 1999, he had rented another house in the same complex.

Several staff from the Korean Embassy, accompanied by the police, visited Lee's house on Tuesday.

Separately, a staff member from the information department at the embassy confirmed that the Korean Ambassador to Indonesia had been notified about the murder.

The Korean government appealed to the police to help provide security for its citizens here, Joko said.

"Since the threat of 'sweeps' for foreigners by radical groups has become an issue of concern recently, the police have deployed their personnel to help safeguard foreigners, including Japanese and Korean businesspeople here," he said.