'Soldiers may be involved in fatal toll road robbery'

JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo said yesterday that last month's armed robbery on the Jagorawi toll road may involve soldiers.

Speaking after the installment of the new chief and new deputy chief of the Supreme Court at the State Palace, Dibyo said police were still investigating the case.

Dibyo, who has just returned from an Interpol meeting in Turkey, did not elaborate on the possibility of soldiers being involved in the Oct. 11 robbery.

He stressed no soldiers were involved in the death of Tjetje Tadjudin, one of the robbery suspects, who died in Bogor police custody. His friend, Zaenuddin Lesmana, was shot dead during the robbery.

Police found shells of an FN 45 gun, which is one of official guns used by the Indonesian Army, minutes after the robbery took place.

Zaenuddin was in his Hyundai Elantra sedan with two friends, Tjetje and Norman Lubis. Zaenuddin, who worked for a family company dealing with land appropriation, had just withdrawn Rp 650 million from the BRI bank in Bogor when three men in a Kijang van intercepted his car. One of the men shot Zaenuddin to death and stole Rp 350 million from his sedan's trunk. The money belonged to Zaenuddin's employer. Tjetje and Norman escaped unhurt.

After questioning them police concluded Tjetje and Norman were involved. They were detained by the Bogor Regency Police.

Ten days later, police announced Tjetje died from a "respiratory problems" while being transported to Bogor's PMI hospital.

However, the hospital said Tjetje died from being tortured. First Lt. DT, the head of the Bogor police crime investigation unit, is the main suspect in the torture.

Since that day, Tjetje's death has made headlines, while the robbery has seemingly been "forgotten". On Wednesday, the fact- finding team set up by the National Commission on Human Rights said the truth behind the robbery was as important as Tjetje's death.

Relatives

Supendi, one of Zaenuddin's younger brothers, said on Wednesday the relatives wanted police to intensify their probe into the robbery.

"The case has apparently been overshadowed by reports on the death of Tjetje and the investigation of the robbery has probably been halted," Supendi said.

"We call on the police to investigate the case seriously. We just want to know who was behind the shooting of Zaenuddin," Supendi, who is now the family's spokesman, said.

Supendi said he believed Norman would and could tell the truth about what happened during the robbery.

Supendi, who lives in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, said Zaenuddin's family and relatives had refused to speak with reporters. "I have been rejecting reporters and an uncountable number of phone calls for days," he said.

Zaenuddin's house in Jatibening, East Jakarta, is still being guarded.

"Zaenuddin's wife, Amelia, is still in shock over the death of her husband. She is now six-months pregnant," Supendi said.

Supendi said he did not know much about the relationship between his brother, Tjetje, and Norman. "I knew they were appropriating a plot of land in Jonggol, Bogor. That's all," he said.

Reports said the three passengers were partners in the land appropriation business. Zaenuddin was the developer, while Tjetje, who worked for the state-owned housing company Perum Perumnas, was in charge of measuring the appropriated land. Norman arranged sales between land owners and Zaenuddin.

Zaenuddin, 42, had eight brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife and four children. (sur/kod)