Before Being Beaten To Death, A Journalist From Raja Ampat Pos Took A Machete For Self-defense, But Was Snatched By The Perpetrators

East Jakarta Metro Police Chief, Kombes Budi Sartono at the East Jakarta Police Station/ Photo: Rizky Sulistio/ VOI

JAKARTA - The East Jakarta Metro Police have arrested two perpetrators of the murder of Firdaus Parlindungan (45), a journalist from Raja Ampat Pos, who was killed on Tuesday, July 19, at around 05.15 WIB near the Medan Jaya Bus Pool, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta. The two suspects were arrested at two different locations.

East Jakarta Metro Police Chief Kombes Budi Sartono said the two suspects were father and son with the initials AE and MRS alias Ogep.

"He (the victim) had a disagreement with the suspect on behalf of MRS alias Ogep and AE. So the suspects are father and son," Kombes Budi told reporters on Monday, August 1.

Kombes Budi said, MRS, the son of AE, was arrested in Bekasi. Meanwhile, his father, AE, was arrested in Riau.

"The suspect MRS was arrested in Bekasi on July 25, while AE was arrested in Riau on July 29," he said.

Kombes Budi explained that the beating began when the suspect MRS urinated in the yard of the victim's house.

Then MRS was reprimanded by one of the witnesses of the incident. However, the witness was reprimanded. This triggered the victim to leave the house and quarrel with MRS.

"The victim came out and scolded (MRS). Then there was an argument, finally the suspect said, I am this son (AE), finally the victim said 'I have called your father!'," he said.

After that, MRS went home to complain to his father, AE. Then he and his father returned to meet the victim at the same location.

"AE had a disagreement with the victim. Finally, a verbal argument ensued. Until finally a physical struggle took place. That's where the beating started," he said.

Kombes Budi said that at the time of the incident, the suspect MRS hit the victim with a rock. Then AE uses a wooden block to attack the victim.

The victim also brought a machete taken from inside his house to defend himself.

"Initially, the victim's hand was held, then the child hit the victim's head with a stone. Finally followed by using a block and finally using a machete. Actually this machete had a victim, because the victim was defending herself. But it was taken," he said.

The suspect, MRS, managed to snatch the machete from the victim's hand, after previously pressing both knees of the victim who had fallen. Meanwhile, AE beats the victim with a wooden block until he is weak and helpless.

"When the victim fell, the suspect's son took his weapon, that was the last thing he used to stab the victim," he explained.

As a result of the attack, Firdaus' victim suffered a number of injuries to his head and hands.

"So there were several injuries to both the hands and the head. Meanwhile, the victim and the suspect knew each other," he said.

In order to account for MRS and his father's actions, AE was charged with Article 170 concerning Beating and Article 338 concerning Murder from the Criminal Code (KUHP) with a threat of up to five years in prison.