Gunawan needs psychiatric help: Lawyer

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta, Jakarta

Gunawan Santosa, 39, the alleged mastermind of the July 19 killing of businessman Boedyharto Angsono and his bodyguard, Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) Second Sgt. Edy Siyep, was in a state of depression and needed psychiatric help, his lawyer said on Monday.

"He is in a state of severe depression. I have recommended that the police investigators take him to a psychiatrist before proceeding with the interrogation," Farhat Abbas, one of Gunawan's lawyers, told reporters on the sidelines of police questioning of Gunawan at the City Police Headquarters.

Farhat said his client felt he was being terrorized and targeted by many parties. When asked what he meant by "many parties," Farhat simply said, "It is public knowledge."

A police investigator who is in charge of Gunawan's dossiers refused to comment on Gunawan's psychological condition.

"Don't ask me. The authority (to answer questions) is in the hands of my superiors," he told The Jakarta Post.

During Monday's interrogation, Farhat said Gunawan was confronted by his plastic surgeon, known only as Dr. Affandy, who had operated on Gunawan's cheek, chin, and nose.

"Gunawan has confirmed that it was the physician (who performed the plastic surgery)," said Farhat.

Gunawan underwent plastic surgery to change his appearance to avoid police tracking. Upon his arrest, police seized from him three fake ID cards using the aliases of Indra Amapta, Dustin Bakrie and Kevin Martin.

Gunawan is facing at least four charges: masterminding the murder attempt of PT Aneka Sakti Bakti's (Asaba) finance director Paulus Tejakusuma, masterminding the murder of Asaba's president director Boedyharto, using fake IDs, and evading the law.

Also implicated in the murder charges were one military officer and three of his subordinates who allegedly carried out the fatal shooting at the parking lot of Sasana Krida sports stadium in Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on July 19. They are Second Lt. SAS, Second Corp. SR, Second Corp. FH, and First Pvt. SS, all members of the Marine Infantry Brigade 2 of Cilandak, South Jakarta.

The four suspects have been detained by the Marine Military Police since July 31.

City Police Detectives chief Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang said earlier that police had sent investigators to the Marine Military Police to ask for the statements from the four soldiers.

Meanwhile, another member of the team of lawyers hired by Gunawan's family, said that police had named Gunawan's mother Mulyati Santosa, his older sister Sulistina and brother-in-law Andre Basuki as suspects in the murder of Boedyharto and the murder attempt of Paulus.

"They have been charged for their suspected roles in the murder," said Iwan Fahzizi, while showing reporters the warrants for their arrests, dated Aug. 13 and signed by North Jakarta Police Detectives chief Comr. Andap Budi Refianto.

Mulyati reportedly told Sulistina to borrow Andre's motorcycle to be used by one of the soldiers for the shootings in both cases.

However, City Police Detectives chief Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang denied the report, asserting that police had yet to name any new suspects in the case.