Two arrested for murder

JAKARTA (JP): Two unemployed men living in the slum area of the illegal Bongkaran prostitution area in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, were arrested yesterday morning and charged with murdering a man they said accused them of being extortionists.

Head of the Tanah Abang police subprecinct, Maj. Zulkarnain, said the two suspects, Bahri Sading and Ali Laesang, both 23, were arrested at a house in Bogor six hours after the incident, over 30 kilometers south of Jakarta.

"The victim, Halid Yusup, also 23, was fatally stabbed in the left side of his chest by the two suspects in an one-sided fight in the early hours today," Zulkarnain said.

The two suspects' arrest was conducted after police found the weapon allegedly used, he said.

The badik traditional dagger from South Sulawesi was found about 10 meters from the scene, the officer said.

If found guilty, the two face a maximum 15 years jail. (bsr)