Two questioned on mourner attack

Aftermath: The relatives of the victims of a violent attack gather at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital’s morgue, waiting for autopsy results. Two died and four others were injured as a group of mourners were attacked in the early morning hours of Thursday outside Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital’s funeral home. JP/Wendra AjistyatamaCity police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Thursday that the police are still investigating the motives behind the violent attack on six mourners at Gatot Soebroto Army Hospital’s funeral home earlier that day — a clash which left two dead and several injured.

“We are currently questioning a witness who was at the hospital at the time of the attack,” he told reporters.

The police are yet to name the man a suspect in the case, as his actual involvement in the incident is still being investigated.

Separately, Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Angesta Romano Yoyol said that his officers had taken two people into custody for their alleged involvement in the attack.

“I’m afraid I have to keep their identities a secret as we are still very early in the investigation,” he said.  

Rikwanto said that a team of investigators was hard at work hunting down the attackers. “We are dispatching teams to search the city thoroughly to find them,” he said, adding that the attack was not connected to the recent arrest of influential gang leader of Maluku origin, John Refra, widely known as John Kei.

Local media reported that two people died and four were left severely injured following an attack at the funeral home at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday.

The police investigation discovered that the six victims were coming to the hospital to pay their final respects to a colleague who had recently passed away.

“Dozens of attackers then arrived at the hospital in eight taxis and just started to attack the victims without any warning,” Rikwanto said.

A witness at the crime scene, introducing himself as Edouard Tupessy, 51, said that everything happened so fast during the attack.

“I was paying a last visit to a recently deceased colleague when I heard people shouting outside the funeral home. I saw people running away from the home and being chased by others who brought machetes,” Edouard said.

He said that he did not actually see the attack taking place. “But then I saw a guy again with his machete, only now it was blood-drenched. It all happened in no more than five minutes.”

The casualties were immediately brought to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM) for autopsy. They were identified as 39-year-old Stendley Wenno from Senen, Central Jakarta, and 37-year-old Ricky Tutuboy from Sorong, Papua.

Ricky reportedly died on the spot while Stanley was treated at RSPAD before his death.

Forensic pathologist Yuli Budiningsih from RSCM said that Ricky was found with his throat slashed and his thyroid cartilage broken, while Stendley suffered from a 10-centimeter laceration on his forehead.

Meanwhile, the police said that the injured were currently being treated at Mitra Hospital in Kema-yoran, Central Jakarta.

They were identified as 35-year-old Oktavianus Mag Milion from Ciracas, East Jakarta; 38-year-old Jefri Ha Kailola from Cilodong, Bogor; 35-year-old Yopi Jonatan Berhitu from Nusaniwe, Maluku; and 38-year-old Errol Karl Latumanui from Senen, Central Jakarta.

From the crime scene, the police confiscated a broken cleaver handle, along with a shirt and a pair of trousers with blood spots on them as evidence.

According to Rikwanto, what happened was clearly an attack instead of a brawl. “We found no weapons belonging to the six guys who were attacked at the crime scene,” he said.

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo hoped all Jakartans would not to be easily provoked by the recent spate of clashes between groups in the capital. “I regret [the attack at the hospital]. If we cannot even maintain unity, then we are not worthy of being called Jakartans.”

Fauzi also urged the groups to refrain from violence, as clashes could taint the city’s image as the nation’s capital.