Oki's father allowed to encounter son today<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Police finally allowed the father of Hernoko
\nDewantono, alias Oki, to meet his 30-year-old son, who has been in
\npolice custody for two weeks on allegations of passport forgery and
\na triple murder in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
\"I will allow only his father to meet him (Oki) so that the
\ntwo can further discuss who will be Oki's lawyers,\" outgoing City
\nPolice Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto told The Jakarta Post and
\nPos Kota at his residence on Saturday.<\/p>\n
It will be the first time that Oki sees a member of his family
\nsince being arrested on Jan. 7.<\/p>\n
Oki, 30, is in police custody for allegedly falsifying
\npassports and for his alleged role in the murders of two
\nIndonesians, including his younger brother, and a businessman of
\nIndian origin in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Since his arrest, police had decided not to allow anyone,
\nincluding his family and two lawyers appointed by his father, to
\nsee him.<\/p>\n
\"It was because we needed a straightforward testimony from
\nhim,\" said Hindarto.<\/p>\n
Police feared their questioning of Oki's alleged role in the
\nmurders might be influenced by the visit of outsiders.<\/p>\n
A week after his arrest, Oki's father, Hendarno Hendarmin,
\nappointed executives from the Ruhut Sitompoel, Tommy Sihotang and
\nAssociates as lawyers to defend his son in court.<\/p>\n
To seek approval from their client, the lawyers tried to see
\nOki last week. They failed but are still trying.<\/p>\n
Ruhut Sitompoel, one of the lawyers appointed by Hendarno, was
\ndetained late last year for his alleged role in the torture of a
\nmale servant.<\/p>\n
\"He (Ruhut) is still a suspect in that case,\" Hindarto
\ninsisted.<\/p>\n
Ruhut is an executive of the powerful Pemuda Pancasila youth
\norganization.<\/p>\n
\"I want Oki's father and his lawyers to meet me on Monday, but
\nonly Oki's father will be allowed to see him,\" Hindarto said.<\/p>\n
As of today, Jakarta police have not formally announced Oki to
\nbe a suspect in the triple murder, although Oki has reportedly
\nadmitted his role and the Los Angeles police have issued an arrest
\nwarrant.<\/p>\n
During a series of police questioning sessions Oki reportedly
\nadmitted he shot Suresh Michandani, his Indian business partner,
\nand beat Gina Suitan Aswar, a young Indonesian woman, to death with
\na monkey wrench. He also confessed to killing his own brother, Eri
\nTri Harto Darmawan, by striking him in the head with a hammer.<\/p>\n
\"We have to be careful in handling this case. Moreover we are
\ntotally dependent on the Los Angeles police for material evidence
\nand witnesses' testimonies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"That's why we have sent detectives to Los Angeles to collect
\nevidence and question witnesses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hindarto also said Indonesia and the United States, which have
\nno extradition treaty, have not yet reached an agreement on the
\nplace of trial for Oki.<\/p>\n
Hindarto said Oki's father fervently wants his son to be tried
\nin the United States.<\/p>\n
His father believes his son might be released if the trial is
\ncarried out in America because Oki had allegedly confessed to
\ncommitting the murder of his brother in self-defense, he added.<\/p>\n
\"He said he was forced to kill Eri for self defense after his
\nbrother pointed a gun at him,\" Hindarto said. (bsr)<\/p>",
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