Death sentence sought for Oki for triple murder

JAKARTA (JP): State prosecutors asked the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday to sentence Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, to death for the premeditated murder of three people in Los Angeles in 1991 and 1992.

The prosecutors said they had proven Oki, 32, guilty of the murder of Suresh Mirchandani, Oki's Indian business partner; another business partner Gina Sutan Aswar; and his younger brother Tri Harto Darmawan, alias Eri.

Prosecutor J. Kamaru, who wept as he read his part of the sentence request, said the murder was a cruel and sadistic act because one of the victims was his own brother, and another, a woman, was his old school friend. Both went to the U.S. at Oki's invitation.

"He was so cruel he cut out Suresh's heart, lungs, and slit his throat while he was still alive or at least the organs were still functioning. He later cut off the Suresh's hands."

The statement said; "Oki also cut off Gina's right ear."

Although Oki looked polite and well mannered, he was dangerous to people who did not agree with him, it added.

Oki's statements before the court were confusing and inconsistent in a deliberate attempt to hide his role in the murder. This had worsened his position, the prosecutors said.

The prosecutors told the court that Oki shot Suresh on Aug. 19 1991, because he had not paid him US$80,000, the balance of the cash he was owed for a laundry business he sold to Suresh.

"Oki shot Suresh in the chest, in his car, after picking him up at the laundry. He took the body home, cut out his organs, cut off the hands, and wrapped them in plastic", the prosecutors said.

Later, Oki put the body and the organs in a box he had earlier ordered through another person, and stored them in a locker.

Gina was killed on Nov. 3, 1992 in Oki's garage with a monkey wrench which he had ready. Gina wanted to withdraw from their real estate business partnership, the prosecutors added.

The prosecutors said Oki killed Eri, to keep the murders secret, with a tool for cracking wood, in Oki's apartment between the end of November and the beginning of December, 1992.

The bodies were found in August 1994, in a warehouse locker at a storage facility in Los Angeles.

Oki sat calmly as the prosecutors read their statement. He started to cry as he was escorted to a detention room in the courthouse after the session.

According to lawyer Nurhasyim Ilyas, Oki had suffered a mental breakdown.

Prosecutor Kamaru told reporters after the trial, "He deserves the death penalty. As a human being I was touched when I read the sentence demand. I can understand his feelings. He is the oldest son in the family." (13)

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