Soldier vs general over traffic dispute

BOGOR (JP): A low-ranking soldier threatened to shoot and amputate the legs of a retired two-star general and his son over a traffic dispute here on Friday evening.

Second Private Nikson Lumban Toruan of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) 1st Division threatened Maj. Gen. (ret) Durmawel Achmad and son, named Fica, 20, accusing the general's car of blocking his Yamaha RX King motorcycle.

Durmawel was a military prosecutor at the special martial court from 1966 until 1967 and was a former director of Bank Indonesia (Central Bank).

"We don't know any reason for the incident. Nikson stopped his motorcycle suddenly in front of our car," Fica, who drove the Suzuki Escudo, told the police.

He said Nikson had threatened to shoot them if the car didn't give way to the motorcycle.

"He even threatened to amputate our legs," he said.

Aware of the incident, local residents crowded the car thinking an armed robbery was taking place.

The crowds attracted the attention of a team of Bogor police detectives, led by its chief Capt. Umar Sumardi, who was enroute to a crime scene.

Umar stepped from his car right away and searched Nikson after hearing witness reports. Police found an FN gun with seven .45 caliber bullets.

Nikson was then taken to the Bogor Police precinct for further questioning. Three military policemen then took him to the Bogor Military Police headquarters.

Bogor Regional Police chief Col. Edi Darnadi said later that the case could be resolved out of court.

"But, we will prosecute Nikson's possession of the bullets, the gun and the motorcycle, which were without required documents," he told reporters. (21/nvn)