Adiguna murder trial begins; security tight<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Escorted by 50 police officers, Adiguna Sutowo, the wealthy
\nbusinessman charged with the New Year's day murder of a waiter
\nover a Rp 150,000 (US$16) bar bill, entered the courtroom as a
\ndefendant for the first time at the Central Jakarta District
\nCourt on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Adiguna, accompanied by his mother and two sisters, who were
\namong the standing-room only crowd of about 150 people, listened
\nintently to the charges brought by the prosecution.<\/p>\n
\"The defendant drew his .22 caliber gun from his waistband and
\nfrom a distance of 50 centimeters, fired a single fatal shot at
\nthe victim, Yohannes \"Rudy\" Berchmans Haerudy Natong,\" said chief
\nprosecutor Andi Herman.<\/p>\n
The prosecution, a six-person team, has charged Adiguna with
\nmurder and the illegal possession of a firearm.<\/p>\n
The intentional, but not premeditated act of murder, falls
\nunder section 338 of the Criminal Code and carries a maximum
\nsentence of 15 years.<\/p>\n
Possessing an illegal firearm is punishable by a maximum of a
\nlife sentence or minimum of 20 years in prison.<\/p>\n
\"I understand the charges, but they are not true,\" said
\nAdiguna to the panel of three judges.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutors, a few hours after celebrating the
\ncoming of the New Year, Adiguna, returned to his 15th floor room
\nat the Hilton Hotel, which is owned by the Sutowo family, in
\nCentral Jakarta, where he was staying with his wife, Vika
\nDewayani, and their female companion, Novia \"Tinul\" Herdiana.<\/p>\n
At 4:40 a.m., Adiguna and Tinul, went to the club's bar, where
\nRudy was working as a part-time waiter.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors claimed that Tinul told one of the bartenders,
\nDaniel Sibarani, as she was paying for a round of drinks with her
\ncredit card, that, \"I am scared of Adiguna ... he is an owner of
\nthe Hilton and is carrying a weapon.\"<\/p>\n
The pair ordered another round of drinks from Rudy, a martini
\nand a vodka tonic, and Adiguna gave the waiter his debit card to
\npay the Rp 150,000 bill.<\/p>\n
Shortly thereafter, Rudy, 25, who was a semester away from
\nbeing his family's first college graduate, returned the card to
\nAdiguna, after being told that the club did not have the
\nnecessary equipment to process debit cards.<\/p>\n
Adiguna then went into a rage, according to reports made
\npublic, whipped out his gun and aimed it at Rudy. He fired a
\nfatal shot from point-blank range. The bullet penetrated Rudy's
\nright temple and he died soon after that.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Assegaf, the lead lawyer of Adiguna's 10-member
\ndefense team, said that although his client acknowledges being at
\nthe club at the time of the event, his client had no recollection
\nof the events.<\/p>\n
He added that prosecutors had not been able to find Adiguna's
\nfingerprints on the gun, which was handed over to the police by a
\nwitness in the case six days after the murder. During a search,
\npolice had discovered 19 bullets in Adiguna's hotel room.<\/p>\n
However, Andi Herman said that the lack of fingerprints would
\nnot hamper the prosecution's case.<\/p>\n
\"Besides corroborating statements from witnesses, we have
\nother evidence, it'll all come out in time,\" said Andi, declining
\nto specify what the evidence was. The prosecution intends to call
\n19 witnesses to testify.<\/p>\n
The lawyer representing Rudy's family, Hendrik Jehaman, said
\nhe was satisfied with the prosecution's efforts so far.<\/p>\n
\"They are credible prosecutors,\" said Hendrik. \"I am positive
\nthey will win a conviction.\"<\/p>\n
The next trial session, where the defense will present its
\narguments, is scheduled for next Thursday. (002)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/adiguna-murder-trial-begins-security-tight-1447893297",
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