LAPD hands over evidence on Oki's case
LAPD hands over evidence on Oki's case
JAKARTA (JP): Los Angeles police have finally handed over material evidence from the homicide case involving the main suspect, Harnoko Dewantono, and the murders of three people in Los Angeles.
With the arrival of the evidence, Jakarta police sources say, it is increasingly likely that Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, will be tried here.
The material evidence, including several firearms, arrived at the Soekarno-Hatta international airport yesterday morning under the supervision of plainclothes officers.
"We don't know the details of the other items inside the bag and two boxes," the head of the City Police Crime Investigation Directorate, Col. Nurfaizi, told reporters at the airport.
"We'll open all the bags and boxes together in front of the other officers, including those from the prosecutor's office, so they can verify the legality of the items," Nurfaizi said.
He added that the items were wrapped by one of his personnel, who is still in Los Angeles.
"The wrapping work was witnessed by officers from the Los Angeles police department and staff members from the Indonesian consulate general there," Nurfaizi added.
Nurfaizi was unaware of the weight of the evidence, but city police spokesman Lt. Col. Bambang Haryoko estimated about 200 kilograms.
Indonesian authorities had earlier demanded that Oki stand trial at Central Jakarta's district court. With the new evidence, they now believe he will.
"No doubt about it anymore," commented Nurfaizi.
After the initial arrest of suspect the U.S. government had made an official request asking Jakarta to expel Oki to Los Angeles for trial.
But the Indonesian authorities never publicly announced their response.
By law, any Indonesian citizen involved in a criminal case abroad can be tried in Indonesia.
Oki was listed as wanted by the Los Angeles police for his alleged role in the killing of Suresh Mirchandani, his Indian business partner, Gina Sutan Aswar, his Indonesian business partner and Tri (Eri) Harto Darmawan, his own brother. Their decomposed bodies were found in a local storage locker in August last year.
Forgery
He was apprehended here early this year for alleged passport forgery and was later questioned about the murders.
The hearing on passport forgery is still underway at the South Jakarta district court.
City police detectives have spent more than four months on the investigation. Their team, which is now working in Los Angeles, has yet to complete their dossiers.
"We hope that the dossiers will be completed following the arrival of the new evidence," Nurfaizi said yesterday at the airport.
Complication
One complication deterring the police from completing the dossiers is the witness element.
In a recent interview with The Jakarta Post, Oki questioned the police and the credibility of the charges.
"Can they prove it? Can they find any witnesses to support their charges against me?" he asked.
Oki's lawyers, Ruhut Sitompoel and Tommy Sihotang, are planning to collect information and more evidence in the United States next month.
A copy of the police findings reveals that Suresh was tortured before he was shot to death in August 1991 and Gina was battered to death on Nov. 2, 1992, while Eri was beaten viciously at an apartment several days after Gina's death. One of Gina's ears was missing, while Suresh's lungs, heart, and part of his abdomen were missing. (bsr)