Alleged murder mastermind caught

Alleged murder mastermind caught

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta, Jakarta

Police revealed here on Friday that they had arrested Gunawan
Santoso, alias Acin, the alleged mastermind of the July 19
killing of PT Asaba president director Boedyharto Angsono and his
bodyguard, Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) Second Sgt. Edy
Siyep.

Jakarta Police Detective Chief Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang
told reporters at the Jakarta Police Headquarters that Gunawan
was arrested on Thursday night in a rented room, on Jl. Industri
Raya in Gunung Sahari, Central Jakarta.

Police also seized three fake ID cards using the aliases of
Indra Amapta, Dustin Bakrie, and Kevin Martin.

"In addition to the fake IDs, he has undergone plastic surgery
to alter the appearance of his nose, cheeks, lips and (around
his) eyes ... We, however, managed to identify Gunawan, thanks to
a birthmark on his face," Mathius told a media briefing.

Mathius said the police wanted Gunawan, the former husband of
Boedyharto's daughter, Alice, on three charges.

First, Gunawan's escape from the Kuningan Penitentiary in
Cirebon, West Java on Jan. 15. At that time he was serving a two-
and-a-half-year prison term after he was convicted in a Rp 25
billion (US$2.9 million) corruption case.

Second, while on the run, Gunawan was suspected to have
ordered the assassination of PT Asaba's finance director Paulus
Tejakusuma on Jun. 6 in front of the Golden Hotel on Jl. Angkasa,
Kemayoran, Central Jakarta. Paulus survived the murder attempt,
but suffered serious injuries.

Third, police believe that Gunawan was the mastermind of the
murder of Boedyharto and Edy -- a cold-blooded shooting in the
parking lot of the Sasana Krida Sports Stadium on Jl. Jembatan
Tiga, Pluit, North Jakarta.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara
added that the police would also charge Gunawan with document
forgery, following the discovery of his three fake IDs and the
fake number plate of his silver metallic BMW car.

"We will hunt for those who helped him obtain the fake IDs,"
Makbul stressed.

Gunawan was at first tightlipped when reporters asked him --
as he was escorted to the interrogation room at the Jakarta
Police Headquarters -- why he had ordered the assassination.

But, eventually, he confessed, "I have a grudge (against
Boedyharto)."

His face looked different from the photograph published by the
media.

Boedyharto's family believed that hatred had motivated Gunawan
to order the murder of Boedyharto and Paulus. Boedyharto had
fired him from the company for embezzling the company's money,
which Paulus uncovered.

Gunawan made the headlines as his case also implicated four
Marine officers who were the alleged executors of the fatal
shooting.

The four Marines, a Second Lt. SAS, Second Corp. SR, Second
Corp. FH, and First Pvt. SS, have been detained by the Marine
Military Police since July 31. The four are members of the Marine
Infantry Brigade 2 of Cilandak, South Jakarta. Their cases will
be brought to military prosecutors for further legal proceedings.

Gunawan Santoso: from his escape to his arrest

Jan. 15
Gunawan escapes from the Kuningan Penitentiary. He returns to
Jakarta using a public bus and is dropped off at Pulo Gadung bus
terminal. He hides at a Marine officer's home (named Suud) in
Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. To avoid the police, he moves from
hostel to hostel in Pasar Minggu, and to several hotels in Mangga
Besar, West Jakarta.
Early in February, 2003
Gunawan sends a letter from Singapore to Boedyharto via the
Kuningan Penitentiary warden. In the letter, he apologizes for
his misdeeds. Police sources said he was in Batam, Riau when he
asked a friend in Singapore to send the letter to evade the
police. From Batam, he went to Pekanbaru, the capital of Riau
province, using a boat and went to Padang, West Sumatra, on a
public bus. He then flew to Surabaya.
May, 2003
Gunawan moves to a rented house in Jl. Kartini II, No. 11,
Central Jakarta. Police found out about his hideout in early
August, but failed to arrest him.
June, 6
Paulus was shot by an unidentified hit man while driving his car
on Jl. Angkasa, Central Jakarta. He survived the murder attempt.
July, 19
Boedyharto and Edy are gunned down by an unidentified man in the
parking lot of the Sasana Krida sports stadium. Police sources
said Gunawan was in Surabaya when the shooting occurred.
September, 11
Police arrest Gunawan in a rented room of a boarding house on Jl.
Industri Raya, in Gunung Sahari, Central Jakarta.