Director of Foreign Affairs and Indonesian Legal Entity Protection Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, in a short message received in Jakarta on Tuesday, explained that the Indonesian government focused on identifying the victims, so that their identity and citizenship could be ascertained.
"The allegation that the two victims were Indonesian citizens have so far merely been based on complaints of losing contact delivered by two Indonesian citizens to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur after the discovery and visual identification of two bodies," Iqbal said.
The Indonesian Embassy has helped deliver family DNA samples and fingerprint data. It is hoped that the identification process will be completed immediately.
"It`s true that someone has been detained for questioning but the Malaysian Police have not been able to draw conclusions because the process is still ongoing," Iqbal stressed.
Two bodies believed to be those of Nuryanto from Bandung, and his staff Ai Munawaroh were found in Sungai Buloh, Selangor state, on January 27, 2019.
When they were found on the edge of the river, their mutilated bodies were damaged and produced a foul odor. Thus, it is difficult to recognize them.
According to the family`s statement, Nuryanto, a textile entrepreneur, left for Malaysia on January 17 for business.
However, the family lost contact with Nuryanto on January 22, 2019.
Reporting by Yashinta Difa Pramudyani
Editing by Suharto
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Reporter: Antara
Editor: Azizah Fitriyanti
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