Customs man gets 16 years for wife killing

JAKARTA (JP): A high-ranking official of the Customs and Excise Office was sentenced to 16 years in jail Monday for masterminding the killing of his wife, Sri Sukarsih, on June 15 last year.

Presiding Judge Bernarto of South Jakarta District Court announced Haryanto Darmo Sucipto, 53, was guilty of paying Rp 16.5 million (US$7,645) to the three other defendants; Supardi, a police officer, Cecilia Suwati, Haryanto's lover, and Joko Sudiatmoko, as a fee for murdering his wife. The fourth suspect in the case, Jarot, remains at large.

The four defendants were tried separately, Supardi at the martial court and the other three at South Jakarta District Court.

According to Bernarto, the murder was planned in February 1993 in Surakarta, Central Java, a town where Cecilia worked as a beautician at the "Maya" beauty parlor.

Cecilia and Haryanto often met at various hotels in Surakarta and when their clandestine love affair blossomed into a more serious relationship, they agreed to murder Sri Sukarsih to enable them to marry, said the judge.

Cecilia then asked police officer Supardi to help with their plan, Bernarto said.

Supardi sent two soothsayers to have Sri Sukarsih eliminated, but the housewife turned out to be invulnerable to their lethal black magic, said the judge.

After this failure, Cecilia instructed Supardi to get her some hired assassins, and quick. Supardi agreed to the scheme when she promised a contract of Rp 10 million ($4,633) for the hit, said Bernarto.

Supardi next contacted Joko Sudiatmoko and Jarot to carry out the murder, said the judge as quoted by the Antara news agency.

According to Antara, the two murderers visited Haryanto's residence on Jl. Kalibata Utara IV, South Jakarta, on June 15, posing as Haryanto's guests. They killed Sukarsih at 10:30 p.m. that day by breaking her neck, and then placed her body in the bathtub.

Joko was sentenced to 16 years in prison by the South Jakarta District Court.

Earlier, prosecutor Tobina L. Siahaan demanded that Haryanto be sentenced to 20 years. Cecilia is also facing 20 years for her role in the killing. Her verdict is scheduled to be read tomorrow.

Bernarto said a number of factors contributed to Haryanto's harsh sentence. He cited, among other things, the fact that Haryanto never admitted that his wrongdoings caused the death of his wife, and that as an active civil servant, Haryanto failed to set a good example for his subordinates by allowing his wife to be murdered in cold blood in order to satisfy his lust.

Haryanto said he will appeal to the higher court. (03)