Family of Radiet, Accused of Murdering a University of Mataram Student, Appeals to Commission III of the DPR
Commission III of the DPR held a public hearing with the family and legal counsel of Radiet Ardiansyah, the defendant in the murder case at Nipah Beach involving Ni Made Vaniradya Puspa Nitra, a student at the University of Mataram. Radiet’s mother, Makkiyati, requested that Commission III of the DPR assist her son.
During the public hearing, held at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Thursday (February 26, 2026), Makkiyati stated that she believes her son is not the perpetrator of the murder. The case began on August 26, 2025, when Makkiyati tried to call Radiet but could not reach him. Later, after the Subuh prayer, someone knocked on her door and stated that Radiet had been the victim of a robbery. On August 28, Makkiyati rushed to Mataram and met her son at the Mataram Provincial Hospital. On September 19, she said her son was taken to North Lombok Regency (KLU) for detention.
Upon arriving in KLU, she claimed to have received information that her son had confessed to the murder. However, Makkiyati denied this and said that Radiet was trembling at the time. She also said that her son was not initially accompanied by a lawyer. “My son was trembling, sir. He swore by Allah, sir. I dare to swear by Allah. He said, ‘If I did it, may Allah take my life,’” Radiet said.
“The next day, his lawyer came to assist my son, but with the intention of seeking a reduced sentence. He said, ‘What kind of reduction?’ I asked. To this day, as a mother, my heart tells me that my son has never, and could never, do something like that,” she continued.
She emphasized that, from childhood to university, Radiet has never had a record of bad behavior. She described her son as a obedient and accomplished child.
“I am a poor person, sir. I beg you, sir. My son is not the perpetrator, sir. I beg you, sir. I beg you once more, sir. I am sure that my son is not the murderer,” she added.
During the same occasion, Radiet’s lawyer, Hotman Paris, questioned the construction of the case that implicates Radiet as the defendant. He believes that the accusation of murder against his client is legally unreasonable.
He explained that Radiet and the victim, Ni Made Vaniradya Puspa Nitra, were known to have met in the Nipah Beach area. According to him, the area is quite crowded and there is a large hotel nearby. “For about one day, this woman (the victim) and her boyfriend did not return home, so her family searched for them. Finally, about three-quarters of a day later, the body of the woman’s boyfriend was found on the beach,” said Hotman.
“Meanwhile, the body of this man, who is now the defendant, was also found about 100 meters away, in a bruised and injured condition,” he continued.
During the event, Commission III of the DPR also received photos of Radiet’s condition. After listening to the testimonies of Makkiyati and Hotman, the Chairman of Commission III of the DPR, Habiburokhman, said that the photos would be shown, but not for publication. “Friends, there will be some sensitive photos. You can see them, but please do not broadcast these photos in the media. Do not broadcast them live,” said Habiburokhman.
“Because we need to know what the injuries are like, whether they are minor or severe, we want to see the photos. If not, let’s just look at the photos of Radiet,” he continued.
(amw/gbr)