U.S. should hand over Oki evidence: Singgih<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has once again asked the United States
\ngovernment to hand over all material evidence regarding a triple
\nmurder in Los Angeles, to enable the main suspect, Harnoko
\nDewantono, alias Oki, to be tried here.<\/p>\n
If the United States government really wants to honor its
\ncommitment to fight crime, it should not ask that the trial be
\nheld in the United States, Indonesian Attorney General Singgih
\nsaid after a meeting with President Soeharto yesterday. \"Instead,
\nthey should give us a helping hand by handing over material
\nevidence which will facilitate Oki's trial,\" he said.<\/p>\n
But he added that the trial could be held either in Jakarta or
\nin Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Oki, 30, has been listed as the most wanted person by the Los
\nAngeles police in connection with the killing of two Indonesians
\nand an Indian in Los Angeles between 1991 and 1992.<\/p>\n
The three decomposing corpses were found together in a Los
\nAngeles storage locker and identified late last year.<\/p>\n
Oki was arrested in Central Jakarta on Jan. 7 in connection
\nwith passport forgery allegations, but was later questioned and
\ncharged in relation to the Los Angeles killing of his female
\nbusiness partner Gina Sutan Aswar, his brother (Eri) Tri Harto
\nDarmawan and his Indian associate Suresh Mirchandani.<\/p>\n
The suspect had been in the U.S. since 1984, after graduating
\nfrom high school in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Almost a month after the arrest of Oki, the U.S. government
\nsent a formal request to the Indonesian government asking Jakarta
\nto deport the suspect so that American police could bring Oki to
\ntrial in the United States.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta police handling the case here are facing possible
\nweaknesses in their dossiers due to the lack of important pieces
\nof evidence, such as a gun (allegedly used to kill Suresh) and a
\nhammer.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles police rejected a request from Indonesian
\npolice that the evidentiary articles be loaned to them.<\/p>\n
There are now concerns that Oki may be released, since most of
\nthe important evidence and witnesses in the case against him are
\nin Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Singgih said his office has yet to respond to the U.S. request
\nthat Oki be deported.<\/p>\n
\"Our law stipulates that we have to protect our citizens from
\nwhatever punishment he or she might face,\" he said.<\/p>\n
According to Singgih, the treatment and punishment of
\ncriminals in Indonesia is similar to those in the United States
\nand elsewhere in the world.<\/p>\n
\"If they (the U.S. government) want to see Oki tried by a
\ncourt then they should hand the material evidence over to us,\"
\nSinggih said.<\/p>\n
\"It's just evidence ... so what's the problem?\" he asked.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto suggested on Tuesday that Oki be tried in
\nhis homeland, here in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
His remarks are widely expected to carry weight in Singgih's
\ndecision regarding the trial venue. (bsr)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/us-should-hand-over-oki-evidence-singgih-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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