Adiguna Sutowo charged with murder

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.