Defendants in Riyama killing accuse each other in court

JAKARTA (JP): The two defendants in the murder case of a female doctor accused each other at North Jakarta District Court yesterday of being the true killer.

During the first session, lawyer Bambang Hartono said it was impossible that Ridwan Surya Danu, his client, had killed the doctor in response to answer her demand for marriage.

Ridwan is now on trial on charges of hiring a man to murder Riyama.

Goenadi Tjahjowargo is also being tried by the same court for his role in the brutal killing.

Dr. Riyama was found dead in her bedroom on Jan. 14 with her head nearly detached from her body.

The mother of two, she had divorced her husband to marry Ridwan, her clandestine lover, who was also married.

On Aug. 15, prosecutor Omsin Subarkah urged the court to sentence Ridwan to 10 years in prison and Goenadi to 15.

It was reported that Ridwan gave Goenadi Rp 120 million (US$55,300) to carry out the hit.

However, Ridwan told presiding Judge Soemardjono that he gave Goenadi Rp 20 million merely as a loan. He claimed that later on Goenadi coerced him into paying another Rp 100 million or else he and his family would be murdered.

According to Bambang, Ridwan told Goenadi that he needed to ask for Riyama's approval because the money was actually hers. But Goenadi replied that was quite unnecessary because she was already dead.

The lawyer reminded the court that Ridwan had testified in an earlier session that Goenadi tried to convince him of the woman's death by showing him her wallet, lipstick and bank identification card.

The lawyer told the judges that if Goenadi is found guilty of killing the woman, his client must not be linked to the crime since he never ordered Goenadi to kill anyone.

Meanwhile, in the second session yesterday, Goenadi withdrew his earlier statements before the court that he was the killer. "I am not the killer," he said.

He said that he made up those stories because Ridwan promised him a Rp 120 million reward.

"Now that he has broken his promises, I am telling you the whole truth," he told the judges.

Hired gun

Goenadi, who was accompanied by his lawyer Alamsyah Hanafiah, said that Ridwan, a former banker, gave him Rp 20 million to locate a hit man to kill Dr. Riyama.

"But I decided not to find one since my relationship with Riyama was always good," Goenadi said.

Goenadi told presiding Judge Surti Hari Pramono that Ridwan constantly pushed him to find a killer. "He called me four times from Australia where he spent Christmas last year, checking if I had found one for him," he testified.

The defendant said that he was shocked when Ridwan informed him on Jan. 15 that Riyama was dead.

"Ridwan told me that I must keep silent but admit that I was the killer," he said.

He said that Ridwan also pledged to support his family, and upped his offer to Rp 150 million for such cooperation.

Both lawyers, however, agreed that the court should release their clients from jail because their 90-day detention periods have expired.

Alamsyah said that Goenadi should have been released by Aug. 5, because the prosecutors filed the case exactly three months earlier.

"In the name of justice he should have been released by now," he said.

However, Judge Surti Hari Pramono said that the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office has issued a letter to extend the defendants' detention.

Bambang told The Jakarta Post that he had not received the letter and that in the absence of such a letter his client is being unlawfully detained. (03)