Ghost-kicking security guard to be tried

Fri, 01/20/2012 9:23 PM



The Bandung Police have passed on the dossier on a Galeri Ciumbeuleuit Hotel & Apartment security guard, 38-year-old Sunarya, who is charged with assaulting a guest, to the Bandung Prosecutor’s Office.

Police say Sunarya allegedly assaulted a guest, Mega Tri Pratiwi, 20, a daughter of a prominent businessman in the coal industry in Kalimantan, on Dec. 10, 2011.

Police say that what Sunarya did meet the criteria of a crime.

“We have submitted [the dossier to the Bandung Prosecutor’s Office]. Now we only have to wait for prosecutors to verify everything. Hopefully it will be ready for trial soon,” Bandung Police spokeswoman Adj. Comr. Endang Sri Wahyu Utami told journalists on Friday.

She said the dossier was submitted early last week.

She said the dossier included statements from Sunarya, Mega and four of Mega’s friends, and other evidence, such as a doctor’s examination results on wounds to Mega’s body and video footage recorded from a CCTV of the incident which took place in the early hours of the morning.

In its chronology sent to The Jakarta Post, Sunarya’s lawyer, Djohansyah, said Sunarya, who was on duty from 10 p.m. until 10 a.m. the next day, was taking a member of housekeeping staff, Ade Syarif, to the 18th floor at the latter’s request.

“When [Sunarya and Ade] entered a service elevator, there were already four men inside and the 22nd floor button had apparently been pushed, indicating the four men were heading to the 22nd floor,” said Djohansyah, adding guests sometimes also used the elevator.

Djohansyah said Sunarya, who thought of dropping by the 17th floor to check the situation, pushed the 17th floor button.

As the elevator was approaching the 17th floor, two of the four male guests moved forward apparently to get out of the elevator, Djohansyah said.

When the elevator’s door opened on the 17th floor, the guests unexpectedly screamed in terror and jumped back, Djohansyah said.

Ade, who was also terrified, leaned to one of the elevator’s sides and did not look out the door, Djohansyah said.

Sunarya looked to see what had frightened the guests and Ade, and suddenly a figure, who was sitting on the floor and clad in white with hair covering the face, moved slowly in a weird way toward the elevator, Djohansyah said.

In a state of shock and fear, Sunarya, who sensed a threat to himself and the others in the elevator, composed himself and repulsed the ghost on the floor with his foot, so that everyone in the elevator could run and save themselves, Djohansyah said.

Djohansyah said four men and one woman immediately came out from behind a wall in the corridor and approached the ghost, who turned out to be Mega.

Angrily, they asked why Sunarya had kicked Mega, Djohansyah said.

Mega and her friends had set up a birthday surprise for a friend. Mega was immediately rushed to hospital for treatment for bruising to her face and broken teeth.

Sunarya said it was spontaneous and he had not realized that the ghost was actually a human being.
He said he had not been informed previously that a prank was being set up to surprise one of the guests in the elevator.

Sunarya’s supervisor, Ahmad Zaki, said what Sunarya did met standard procedures for security guards.
Following the incident, Mega’s father reported Sunarya to the police.

Sunarya, who is now a suspect, said he was ready for trial but hoped everything would turn out well.
“I have a wife and two little children. I hope everything will be fine. I just did my job as a security guard,” he said.


(x the JP)