'Soldiers may be involved in fatal toll road robbery'

'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company dealing with land appropriation, had just withdrawn Rp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)