Eight lawyers to defend L.A. triple slaying suspect

JAKARTA (JP): The sole defendant in the trial of a Los Angeles triple murder, Harnoko Dewantono, better known as Oki, has appointed a team of eight lawyers to defend him at the second court session to begin today.

"Oki has just signed a written statement appointing eight lawyers led by trio Tommy Sihotang, Henry Yosodinigrat and Nurhasyim Ilyas," lawyer Amir Syamsuddin, Oki's mediator, told The Jakarta Post yesterday minutes after visiting Oki in Cipinang prison in East Jakarta.

According to Amir, the other five lawyers are all from his office.

"I am not included," said Amir. He once defended Oki but gave up due to several internal problems with Oki's relatives.

"I just tried to do my best to help him appoint a team of lawyers," said Amir.

Oki's first hearing, on June 17 at the Central Jakarta District Court, lasted less than five minutes after Oki told the court he refused the lawyers from Tommy Sihotang, Ruhut Sitompoel and Associates law firm. Oki said he had appointed Amir Syamsuddin, and claimed he was ill at that time.

The hearing, presided over by Judge Sukarata, was adjourned for two weeks.

Tommy Sihotang said Oki's rejection came at the last minute.

Oki, who ran a small business in Los Angeles, is now serving a two-year prison sentence for passport forgery.

He has been charged with torturing and then shooting to death his Indian business colleague, Suresh Mirchandani, 45, in August 1991. He has also been charged with allegedly battering to death his female friend, Gina Sutan Aswar, 28, and his natural brother, Eri Tri Harto Darmawan, 26, in November 1992.

Psychiatrist

In a related development, a psychiatrist says Oki might need a psychiatric examination to determine if he has a psychological disorder that could have led to the murders.

Psychiatrist Wahjudi Darmabrata said he was once asked to examine Oki, Antara reported.

"It was an unofficial request. If the police or Oki's family officially ask me to conduct a psychiatric observation of Oki, I'll be ready," he pledged while lecturing journalists on forensics at the medical college of the University of Indonesia in Salemba, Central Jakarta yesterday.

According to Wahyudi, a psychiatric examination of a defendant can be conducted if the court deems it necessary for the sake of justice.

If a defendant is found to have a mental disorder, he or she could be freed from all charges.

"A psychopath could also get harsh punishment from the court," Wahyudi said. (bsr/sur)