Minister of Justice says Oki may face death sentence
Minister of Justice says Oki may face death sentence
JAKARTA (JP): The prime suspect in the Los Angeles triple murder, Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, faces a possible death sentence whether tried in local courts or in America, says Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman.
The minister said that both Indonesia and the United States have the same objectives of fighting against crime and carrying out justice.
"The suspect will be sentenced to death whether the murder case is tried here or there (the United States)," Oetojo told reporters after a fast-breaking gathering here on Friday evening.
Oki, a 30-year-old Indonesian, is the main suspect in the killing of all three victims: Gina Sutan Aswar, an Indonesian woman, Tri (Eri) Harto Darmawan, his brother, and Suresh Mirchandani, an Indian businessman.
Directorate General of Correctional Institutions Baharuddin Lopa, also present at the Friday gathering, shared Oetojo's view, adding that the cost of the trial would be much cheaper if it took place near the scenes of crime.
Moreover, complete evidence is already available there, Lopa said.
If the trial takes place here, the judges and prosecutors won't have enough perception concerning the scenes of crime, and it would take a huge amount of money to fly them to Los Angeles to witness the reconstruction of the homicides.
"It will be much easier if Oki is tried in the United States as the crime scenes and original evidence are there," Lopa said.
About two weeks ago, the U.S. government made an official request to Indonesia for the expulsion of Oki in order to bring him to trial in an American court.
Jakarta has yet to respond to the request. "It's being discussed," Oetojo said.
On the other hand, Jakarta police detectives have asked the Los Angeles police department to hand over vital material evidence to support the dossiers of the case.
He said that the American request to expel Oki from Indonesia "is similar with our plea to ask for the original evidence."
"So, it's fifty-fifty," Oetojo said.
After several weeks of being on Los Angeles police's wanted list in connection with the murders, Oki was apprehended on Jan. 7 in Central Jakarta for allegations of passport forgery and was interrogated later by both local and LA detectives for his alleged role in the murders.
The dossiers on the alleged role of Oki in the killings have been completed by the Jakarta police and will be submitted to the prosecutors' office immediately after Jakarta has decided the trial venue.
The victims are believed to have been brutally killed in separate places between 1991 and 1992 before being found and identified late last year.
The three victims were reportedly tortured and killed, with money as the motive.
Suresh was tortured and shot to death in August 1991 and Gina was battered to death on Nov. 2 1992 in a garage in Kentfield Brentwood, while Eri was beaten viciously at an apartment on Palm Boulevard several days after Gina's death.
All three bodies had severe wounds, especially to the heads.
One of Gina's ears was missing, while Suresh's fingers, lungs, heart and part of his skeleton and abdomen were missing.
The killing of Suresh allegedly took place a few days after he and Oki failed to reach an agreement on the purchase of Oki's laundry business.
The decomposing bodies of the three victims had been kept in U Haul storage locker No. 109 in Northridge since May, 1993, before being found by the warehouse owner in August last year.
Previously, the bodies were hidden at separate locations. (bsr/imn)