Adiguna's case on the way to court
Adiguna's case on the way to court
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Prosecutors sent on Wednesday murder suspect Adiguna Sutowo to
the notorious Salemba prison, pending his trial expected to start
later this month.
Head of the intelligence unit at the Jakarta Prosecutor's
Office, Farried Haryanto, said prosecutors were now drafting the
indictment on the shooting of Yohannes Berchmans "Rudy" Haerudy
Natong which took place early in the new year.
"I'm sure we can submit the case to court in a week because we
don't have to rewrite much from the police's case file," he told
The Jakarta Post.
Adiguna, a member of the prominent family of the late Ibnu
Sutowo, a former president of state oil and gas company
Pertamina, and the youngest brother of property magnate Ponco
Sutowo, will be charged under laws on murder and the illegal
possession of firearms.
The Criminal Code carries a maximum sentence of 15 years'
imprisonment, while the 1951 Emergency Law on explosives carries
a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The handcuffed Adiguna kept his head down and did not reply to
reporters' questions as he was taken from city police detention
to the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office.
Clad in a white Muslim shirt, the former national car racer
was guarded by ten detectives.
Adiguna was directed into the prosecutor's office with no
opportunity given for reporters to question him.
A panel of a glass door was broken, and several of the
reporters were hurt as they tried to get closer to Adiguna.
The prosecutor's office announced on Monday that the case file
of Adiguna was complete and asked police to hand over the suspect
and evidence to them.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said
that, according to data from National Police Headquarters, the
gun was not licensed and its ownership was unclear.
"Of course, the gun is an illegal one. And we don't need to
find his fingerprints on it before placing charges against him. I
think laboratory and ballistic tests are enough to back the
charges. It is up to the prosecutors now. I hope that the trial
will be fair," he said.
So far, the police and the prosecutors have depended on
witnesses affidavits and forensic tests to charge Adiguna as they
could not find his fingerprints on the gun, nor on the 19 bullets
found in Adiguna's hotel room.
Firman said the police were still gathering evidence to charge
Adiguna with drug abuse.
"We will separate the case file (on drug abuse) from the first
one. So, there will be two different trials. However, we are
still completing the evidence, and waiting for the results of
forensic tests on Adiguna's nail clippings and hair from national
headquarters," he added.