J

ohn Refra Kei, 49, is among the poster boys of Jakarta’s underbelly and probably the last bastion of influential gang leaders from eastern Indonesia amid the recent domination of Betawi ethnic-led gangs.

Notoriously known for his penchant of cutting the fingers of his opponents, John’s venture in the city’s underground business is likely to end after more than 70 police officers nabbed him late Saturday.

John, who was born in Tual island, Southeast Maluku, was arrested when allegedly having a methamphetamine party in a hotel in East Jakarta with an actress by the initials of AF, according to the police.

The police, who shot John in the leg for resisting arrest, have accused John of playing a role in the murder of PT Sanex Steel Indonesia owner Tan Harry Tantono, aka Ayung, in a Swiss-Belhotel room in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, on Jan. 26

“John was at the scene at the time of the homicide,” said Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto on Sunday. Rikwanto said that CCTV footage had confirmed John’s presence on the day Ayung was killed.

Before the murder, according to Rikwanto, Ayung and John were allegedly locked in a dispute after Ayung refused to pay a debt that John and his men went to collect from him at the hotel. The police said John would face a maximum penalty of death if he was found guilty of masterminding the murder.

On Saturday, the police raided John’s home in Bekasi, West Java, confiscating several clothes belonging to John and several guns.

John is still receiving medical treatment at the National Police’s Dr. Sukanto Hospital in East Jakarta. The police have also restricted his family and lawyers from visiting him.

John’s family said the restriction, along with the shooting of John’s leg, were forms of “police misconduct”. The family is planning to file complaints with the National Police.

“John’s wife, Yulianti, will speak directly to file the complaints. The police have committed a big mistake,” said Tito Refra Kei, John’s brother and one of his lawyers.

Tito said that his brother had never resisted arrest. “In fact, my brother was cooperative with the police in the case, even though he had no involvement in the murder.”

John’s group is regarded as the most efficient debt collector — employed by banks, financing companies and individuals — because of the intimidation factor associated with their methods. They earn between 15 percent and 50 percent of each debt collected.

However, Jakarta’s native Betawi groups have recently gained a stranger footing in the business, such as the Betawi Brotherhood Forum (FBR), Haji Lulung Group and the Betawi Communications Forum (Forkabi), expelling other ethnic-based gangs from the capital. (lfr/mim)

John’s credentials

2004: John first gains public attention following the murder of his rival Basri Sangaji, who also led another Maluku gang. John is not prosecuted in the case due to a lack of evidence.
2009: John serves a jail term in Surabaya, East Java, for cutting the fingers of two of his cousins.
2010: John is implicated in a deadly clash with rival group members from Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, in front of the South Jakarta District Court. Four people are killed and dozens more injured in the brawl. The brawl followed a deadly clash between the two groups at Blowfish Kitchen and Bar in which two people were killed.