Adiguna, spoilt brat of famed tycoon
Adiguna, spoilt brat of famed tycoon
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
The fatal shooting on New Year's Day at the Hilton Hotel's Fluid
Club, Central Jakarta, has raised the profile of Adiguna Sutowo,
the sole suspect in the case, higher than his famous elder
brother Ponco Sutowo.
Before the murder of Yohannes "Rudy" Berchmans Haerudy Natong,
the public were only familiar with two of the seven children of
the late Ibnu Sutowo, a former director of state-owned oil and
gas company Pertamina. Ponco was known for his business and
political ambitions, while Endang Utari Mokodompit came into the
spotlight for her connection to liquidated Pacific Bank.
Adiguna, the youngest, was known more as a former national
racer than a businessman.
Adiguna became involved at a young age in the family's
businesses under the umbrella Nugra Santana Group, which
inherited countless assets and cash from Ibnu, a three-star
general who was said to have been the treasurer of the Soeharto
administration, under which Pertamina almost single-handedly
generated revenue during the oil boom of the mid-1970s and early
1980s.
In 1977, while he was still a high schooler, Adiguna married
Indri, with whom he has two surviving children -- their eldest
son Adri died several years ago in a traffic incident on Jl.
Sudirman.
After graduating in 1981 from the University of Southern
California, Los Angeles, Adiguna returned to the country and
became president director of PT Adiguna Mesin Tani, which now
distributes diesel engines nationally.
Adiguna was later entrusted with managing PT Santana Petroleum
Equipment and shipping company PT Pelayaran Umum Indonesia
(Pelumin), from which Pertamina has leased several ships.
In 1985, Adiguna established PT Mugi Rekso Abadi with several
friends including Tommy Soeharto, Soetikno Soedardjo and Onky
Soemarmo.
The firm owns the Hard Rock Cafe franchise in Jakarta, and
later expanded into a holding company for Adiguna's
entertainment, communication and hospitality businesses,
including MTV radio, i-radio, Cosmopolitan and FHM,
as well as the Zoom bar and lounge, BC Bar and Cafe 21.
In the pharmaceutical industry, he owns manufacturer PT Suntri
Sepuri. Adiguna currently holds key posts in over 20 companies.
In 1990, Adiguna married his second wife Vika, with whom he
has two children.
As the youngest in the affluent family, his mother Zaleha
reportedly spoiled him. For example, during his high school days,
he had driven his own Mercedes-Benz sports car to school.
A fellow rally driver said Adiguna always got what he wanted
-- and would do anything to get it. If someone was in his way on
the racetrack, he would simply push them out of the way.
While Adiguna's lawyer has repeatedly denied his abusing
drugs, a source at city police headquarters claimed that Adiguna
was a regular user of cocaine. The police have also announced
that Adiguna's blood tested positive for drugs in the Hilton
shooting.
Adiguna is also known to be trigger-happy, according to a
source at National Police headquarters, and had been involved in
at least three shooting incidents before the Hilton case.
No fatalities were reported in the other cases, although his
gun license was revoked by police when Adiguna shot through the
ear of singer Achmad Albar's nephew in October 2003 at T-Box
Cafe, Kemang.