'Toilet murder' in posh Jakarta neighbourhood purely a violent robbery gone wrong, say police

JAKARTA/MEDAN (THE JAKARTA POST) - With all suspects caught, one of whom was shot dead for resisting arrest, the Jakarta police have confirmed that a robbery was the only motive behind the shocking "toilet murder" case in Jakarta in December.

The statement from police on Monday (Jan 2) came following public speculation that the fatal incident was the result of a premeditated murder.

Six people were suffocated after they were crammed for hours along with five others into a toilet in the house of an Indonesian tycoon in Jakarta during the robbery on Dec 26.

"Based on questioning, the evidence and profiling of the suspects, we have come to the conclusion that the motive was to carry out a robbery," said Jakarta Police spokesman Senior Commissioner Raden Prabowo Argo Yuwono on Monday.

The conclusion was made after the police arrested Ridwan Sitorus, alias Ius Pane alias Marihot Sitorus, at a bus station in Medan, North Sumatra, on Sunday morning.

Ridwan, a repeat offender in armed robbery cases, was released from prison in November 2015 after serving four-and-a-half years.

In the incident, Ridwan and his alleged accomplices, Erwin Situmorang, Ramlan Butar Butar and Alfins Bernius Sinaga, entered the tycoon's house in the upscale Pulo Mas neighbourhood in East Jakarta and locked 11 people inside a 1.5m by 1.5m bathroom.

They then left with a Rolex watch and foreign currency amounting to more than Rp 60 million (S$6,454), while leaving the victims in the small bathroom for 15 hours.

Six people died due to suffocation, including Dodi Triono, 59, the Indonesian tycoon who owned the house. The others who died were his daughters, aged nine and 16, the girls' female friend and his two drivers.

Two days after the robbery, the police arrested Ramlan and Erwin in Bojong, Rawalumbu, Bekasi, West Java. Ramlan, the suspected robbery mastermind, was shot dead while Erwin was shot in his thigh for resisting arrest.

Alfins was apprehended at a house in Villa Mas Indah, also in Bekasi.

Following the incident, there was widespread speculation among the public that the crime might have been a case of premeditated murder, given that Mr Dodi was an architect and a developer involved in one of Jakarta's strategic development projects.

"The case is pure robbery. Within just a week, Ridwan and his team robbed two other houses in different locations before they went to Pulo Mas," Jakarta Police chief Inspector General Mochamad Iriawan said.

Mr Iriawan said the gang was suspected of being involved in a robbery in Purwakarta and Bogor, both in West Java. Despite their ruthlessness, the gang has no record of killing their victims, according to the police.

Erwin reportedly begged the police to shoot him on account of guilt after learning the victims had died.

"Despite the fact that Erwin had carried out robberies several times before, he felt guilty as he had never killed anyone," Mr Argo, the Jakarta Police spokesman said, adding that the gang had a habit of gathering victims into one room.