Findings suggest Oki killed own brother
Findings suggest Oki killed own brother
JAKARTA (JP): Further questioning of Hernoko Dewantono, alias Oki, has led police to believe that the suspect killed his brother Tri Harto Darmawan, known as Eri.
"So far part of the findings collected by the city police investigators in Los Angeles confirms Oki's confession that he killed his brother," outgoing Jakarta Police Chief Maj. Gen. Mochammad Hindarto said yesterday.
"Thus, we need more material evidence to prove his alleged role in the killing of the other two victims," he said.
During the interrogation here, Oki reportedly confessed that, besides killing Eri, he also killed Gina Sutan Aswar, a young Indonesian woman, and Suresh Michandani of Indian origin.
Hindarto said that the tentative findings have not yet revealed the alleged role of other suspects in the triple murder.
Oki, 30, was arrested in Central Jakarta on Jan. 7 on the allegation of passport forgery and has since been questioned for his alleged role in the triple murder.
The motive of the killing is still unknown. Gina and Suresh were Oki's business partners, while it is believed his brother knew many things about Oki's activities.
The three were believed to have been killed in separate places in Los Angeles between 1991 and 1993. Their decomposed bodies were found together in a storage locker in August last year and were identified four months later.
Besides questioning the main suspect and a number of witnesses here, a team of senior police detectives were sent to the United States last week and are still there collecting evidence and questioning other witnesses.
During the questioning, Oki gave two different versions of the killing, said Hindarto.
He allegedly once told the investigating officers that he killed the three himself using different weapons, including a gun, hammer, baseball bat and a monkey wrench.
During the other questioning session, he reportedly confessed to killing his brother in self-defense when Eri, who he said had shot Suresh and murdered Gina, pointed a gun at him.
But, Hindarto said, the complete story of the murder could be revealed only after the arrival of his team from Los Angeles next week.
"They will return with two Los Angeles detectives who are going to check our findings here," he said.
Later, the two police groups will compare their findings and compile a dossier on the case, Hindarto said at a press conference, which was arranged as his last meeting with city crime reporters.
He is going to be replaced by his deputy, Brig. Gen. Dibyo Widodo, today.
In a related development Oki's father, Hendarno Hendarmin, held a press meeting at his residence to emphasize that his son has agreed to be represented by lawyers from the Ruhut Sitompoel, Tommy Sihotang & Associates. (bsr)