Key witnesses sought in Beng Seng murder trial

JAKARTA (JP): Police have yet to learn the whereabouts of two key witnesses scheduled to testify in today's trial of the murder of entertainment businessman Darmansyah Suyadi.

Head of the City Police Crime Investigation Directorate Col. Nurfauzi told reporters over the weekend that he had issued arrest warrants for the two, identified as A Fong and A San, believed to have been involved in the murder of Darmansyah Suyadi, alias Beng Seng, 57, in April last year.

A Fong was accused by prosecutors in a previous trial session at the North Jakarta District Court of being a middleman who was employed to hand over Rp 50 million (over US$22,350) in cash to people suspected of being hired to kill Beng Seng.

Head of the General Crimes of the directorate, Lt. Col. Gories Mere, said that his detectives had several times failed to pick A Fong up from his house.

The agents were informed that A Fong had been away from the house for the past few days for unknown reasons, Mere said.

According to Nurfauzi, prosecutors have summoned the two to attend court to testify but there has been no response.

"Their testimony is an important element to be learned by the prosecutors, therefore they asked the police to help bring the two to court," Nurfauzi said, adding that he would assign some of his best personnel to arrest the two.

According to the trial's schedule, today's session will hear testimonies from several witnesses, including A Fong and A San.

The city police detectives have also received information that A Fong is currently in Singapore, a neighboring country which has no extradition treaty with Indonesia.

"If the information is correct, we'll ask for help from the Singaporean police through our National Central Bureau of Interpol here to get them," Nurfauzi said.

At least two men have already been charged with the murder.

Beng Seng was an owner of PT Irama Tara recording company, several massage parlors and night clubs in Jakarta. He was also a contact person for Indonesians who wanted to gamble at exclusive places overseas, such as in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia.

He was killed in front of his second wife's mansion at Jl. Pluit Kencana Raya 128, North Jakarta, on April 15 last year by a number of masked men.

The court sessions have often been delayed because of the absence of witnesses, including Beng Seng's business competitor, identified as Hong Lie, who was mentioned by the prosecutors as the one who hired the suspected murderers.

A Fong once attended a trial session but refused to testify, saying that he was sick. The trial session was then adjourned to a later date but he failed to appear.

He sent medical reports to the court, stating that he was advised by doctors in Jakarta and from the Mt Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore to rest at home for a month.

Later, the prosecutors were informed by the hospitals that his excuses were false.

The trial of the case of Beng Seng's murder has been seen by observers as "complicated" largely due to invisible powerful parties behind the case.

Many believe that the main suspect in the killing will never be brought to court. (bsr)