Brother of State-Owned Bank Branch Manager Questions Why One Defendant Remains Un detained During Trial

JAKARTA — Taufan, the brother of the late Mohammad Ilham Pradipta, a branch manager of a state-owned bank, has questioned why one of the defendants in his brother’s murder case is not being held in custody during the ongoing trial. The case involves three defendants, all members of the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI): Serka Mochamad Nasir, Kopda Feri Herianto, and Serka Frengky Yaru.

While the other two defendants are being detained, the third defendant, Frengky Yaru, remains free during the proceedings at the Military Court II-08 Jakarta. Taufan argued that Frengky should have had the opportunity to seek medical assistance for the victim. “From our perspective, looking at the planning and the timeframe, there was time to save him and reconsider the actions multiple times. Even just to abort the criminal conspiracy, why was the deceased not immediately sent to the hospital? Those five minutes were the golden time,” he stated.

Taufan also expressed disappointment, noting that the sentencing demands for the three defendants are too light. “As stated by the family’s legal team, we are not satisfied with the decision presented by the Military Prosecutor. It is difficult for us to say there was no element of mens rea or criminal conspiracy,” he explained.

Previously, the Military Prosecutor of Jakarta II-07 demanded prison sentences and dishonourable discharges from military service for the three TNI members involved in the murder of Mohammad Ilham Pradipta. On Monday (18/5/2026), Military Prosecutor Major Chk Wasinton Marpaung read the indictments, seeking a 12-year prison sentence for the first defendant, Serka Mochamad Nasir, along with a discharge from the TNI, citing charges of joint murder and concealing a corpse. The second defendant, Kopda Feri Herianto, faces a 10-year prison sentence. The third defendant, Serka Frengky Yaru, faces a four-year prison sentence for his involvement in the death, but notably, the prosecution did not seek his dismissal from the military.