Oki interrogated by Jakarta police without lawyer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Harnoko Dewanto, alias Oki, was questioned by
\nJakarta police yesterday, without a lawyer being present, in
\nconnection with a triple murder in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
The city police's chief spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko
\nconfirmed yesterday that under the law Oki had a right to have a
\nlawyer present during the questioning.<\/p>\n
But the suspect had waived that right, Bambang said.<\/p>\n
He said it had been Oki who had insisted that he did not need
\na lawyer at this stage. Bambang added that Oki did not give any
\nparticular reason for his refusal to have a lawyer.<\/p>\n
Bambang also denied the allegation, made by lawyers already
\nappointed by Oki's family, that police had been denying Oki
\naccess to his lawyers. \"There's no reason for us to stop lawyers
\nmeeting with their clients, provided they follow the proper
\nprocedures,\" he said.<\/p>\n
There were conflicting reports yesterday about whether or not
\nOki had indeed appointed a lawyer. He is believed to have met
\nwith one or two of the city's top criminal lawyers but had not
\nappointed any of them as at yesterday.<\/p>\n
Two lawyers who are believed to have met with Oki during his
\npolice detention are Amir Syarifuddin and Hotma Sitompoel.<\/p>\n
Oki's family, meanwhile, appears to have appointed lawyer
\nRuhut Sitompoel to represent Oki in the murder investigation.
\nRuhut is known to be closely associated with the powerful Pemuda
\nPancasila youth organization.<\/p>\n
Ruhut was not available for comment yesterday but his
\nassistant Tommy Sihotang confirmed that Oki's family had
\napproached his firm regarding representation.<\/p>\n
\"We just need to tie up some loose ends before we sign the
\nagreement to represent Oki, hopefully tomorrow (today),\" Tommy
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Tommy declined to divulge details of the agreement. \"I've
\nnothing to say at this moment, pending the final agreement,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Pemuda Pancasila chairman Yorrys Raweyai, a close friend of
\nRuhut, meanwhile confided yesterday that the agreement was with
\nOki's parents.<\/p>\n
He added that Ruhut and Tommy had tried to meet with Oki at
\nthe police station where he is being held, but that they had been
\ndenied access.<\/p>\n
Oki was arrested on Jan. 7 in connection with allegations that
\nhe had forged a passport.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend police expanded their investigation to
\ninclude the allegation that Oki had committed the triple murder.<\/p>\n
Oki has been named by the Los Angeles Police Department as the
\nmain suspect in their investigation of the murder of Gina Sutan
\nAswar, a young Indonesian woman; Oki's own brother, Edi Tri Harto
\nDarwaman; and a laundry businessman of Indian origins. Their
\ndecomposed bodies were discovered in a Los Angeles storage locker
\nlast August. Police only managed to identify the victims last
\nDecember.<\/p>\n
Indonesian police have said that they have no intention of
\nhanding Oki over to the United States to face the murder charges
\nthere, given that there is no extradition treaty between the two
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
They said Indonesian law permits an Indonesian court to try
\nits own citizens for crimes allegedly committed overseas.<\/p>\n
Two Los Angeles detectives, identified as Ted Ball and Edward
\nRamirez, are expected in Jakarta this week to help with the
\ninvestigation.<\/p>\n
The police investigation made little progress yesterday, Lt.
\nCol. Bambang told reporters.<\/p>\n
Bambang refused to comment further on the investigation,
\nsaying that any further information would have to come from city
\npolice chief, Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto.<\/p>\n
He added that the results of the investigation could take one
\nmore week. (bsr)<\/p>",
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