Syafruddin murder suspect arrested

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Police have arrested a man suspected of killing Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, a journalist of the Bernas daily, in August.

The suspect, identified as Kiwik, was arrested Monday in the vicinity of Sleman regency, 14 kilometers north of here. Police also seized a 35-centimeter iron bar from the suspect that he allegedly used to beat Fuad, better-known as Udin, to death with, a long-sleeve T-shirt, a pair of sneakers and a blue scooter.

One of Kiwik's police-appointed lawyers, Triandi Mulkan, told reporters here yesterday that his client had admitted to killing Udin, but claimed that he did not do it intentionally.

"He told the police he initially only wanted to warn Udin," Triandi said. He did not elaborate, however.

Udin, 35, died after an unknown group of people attacked him in his home in Bantul, Yogyakarta on Aug. 13. It is strongly suspected that Udin's death was brought about because of his critical reporting on certain people.

Kiwik's wife, Suwarti, reportedly called the newspaper's office Monday afternoon to tell the daily that the police had arrested her husband on charges of killing Udin.

The information of the arrest instantly drew dozens of reporters to the Yogyakarta police headquarters in search of confirmation. Yogyakarta Police Chief Mulyono Sulaiman declined to comment.

According to Triandi, his client had been interrogated twice by the police. During the first round of questioning, when he was not accompanied by a lawyer, Kiwik reportedly admitted to the crime and claimed he committed it out of jealousy over a woman.

During the second interrogation, in front of his three lawyers, Kiwik reportedly "looked unstable" and could not explain why he had killed Udin, Triandi said.

The questioning session was then halted, he said.

Triandi and many reporters said Kiwik's face did not match the one reconstructed from witnesses and sketched by a Yoyakarta artist shortly after the journalist's murder.

Kiwik's wife, Suwarti, who attended the same senior high school as Udin, works as a dressmaker and a hairdresser. She reportedly had not seen Udin for a long time. (30/26)