Adiguna Sutowo charged with murder

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Adiguna Sutowo will be charged with murder and illegal possession of the gun he allegedly used to kill bar worker Yohannes Berchmans "Rudy" Haerudy Natong on Jan. 1.

Chief of the intelligence unit at the Jakarta prosecutor's office, Farried Haryanto, said they were expecting the city police to hand over the suspect and the evidence as the next procedure before the prosecutors recommend a court trial.

In a briefing on Monday, the prosecutors decided that the police charges, which state that the suspect violated Article 338 of the Criminal Code on murder, as well as the 1951 Emergency Law on illegal possession of firearms, would be accepted.

Article 338 carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and the Emergency Law has maximum sentence of life in prison.

"The charges are solid. I think we can send the case to court in one or two weeks. We just need time to discuss the case with all the senior prosecutors and the Attorney General's Office to make sure we have a strong case against the suspect," Farried told The Jakarta Post.

The case, he said, would depend on mainly eyewitnesses and forensic tests, as the police could not find Adiguna's fingerprints on the gun allegedly used in the murder, nor on the 19 rounds of ammunition found in Adiguna's hotel room.

The prosecutors decided not to charge Adiguna with drug abuse, thus ending criticism on a possible effort to lessen the crime as several police officers emphasized the fact that Adiguna, the younger brother of magnate Ponco Sutowo, was under the influence of illicit drugs and should be charged with unintentional murder or drug abuse.

Separately, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that they had received official notification from the prosecutors. "We will hand over Adiguna and all of the evidence on Wednesday, because we need time to prepare."

Adiguna, who is currently being held at the city police headquarters is the son of tycoon Ibnu Sutowo, the former president of state oil and gas company Pertamina. His brother Ponco holds the majority of shares in the Jakarta Hilton International Hotel, where the shooting took place.

Many have expressed concerns that the well-connected businessman could escape justice because of his power and wealth.

However, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono instructed the police to investigate the case thoroughly, shortly after the case made headlines.