Offended Bogor resident kills businessman, wife

BOGOR (JP): In some cases, a few harsh words can lead to brutal murder.

Pono, 36, said at the Bogor Police Headquarters on Monday that he was deeply offended after being called "a dog" by a local businessman.

Pono and his friend, Nanang, then plotted the murder of the businessman.

The two carried out their plan on March 25 to avenge Pono's "pain". The pair killed businessman Didi Sasmita, 59, and his wife Susanti, 51.

The bodies of the couple, who ran car dealership Andrian Motor in Cibinong, were found on March 26 in their Kijang van in a valley in the village of Pasir Muncang, Caringin.

Didi's throat had been slashed while his wife had severe head injuries and burns on her back. A handbag, a wallet containing Rp 1 million in cash, two mobile phones, luxury watches, a gold ring, a necklace and earrings were not removed from the bodies.

Bogor Police detectives arrested Pono on Thursday last week at his hideout in a teak forest in Kedewan village, Kasiman district, Bojonegoro, East Java.

"I killed them because I was really offended after he called me a dog," Pono, a father of three, said.

According to Pono, about seven months ago Didi offered to buy his house in Leuwi Nutug village here for Rp 20 million.

After Pono put the house's certificate of ownership in Didi's name, Didi only gave him Rp 3 million instead of the agreed upon Rp 20 million.

"He told me he'd pay the rest in installments," Pono said.

Later, Didi came to him and said he would only pay Rp 15 million plus a used RX King motorcycle for the house.

With no other options, Pono accepted the deal.

When Didi had nearly paid the Rp 15 million, Didi asked Pono when he would leave the house.

"I told him that I would leave when I got all the money and the motorcycle," Pono said.

Pono said that Didi then pointed at him and said: "You have been helped so don't act like a dog."

"To be honest, I was really hurt and planned to kill him," Pono said.

A few days later Pono met his neighbor Nanang and told him the story.

"I told Nanang he could rob the victims because they always carried large amounts of money," Pono stated.

On the evening of March 25, the two flagged down the victims' vehicle in the Cibinong area, pretending they were hitchhiking to the house in Leuwi Nutug, which is located some 27 kilometers along the Cibinong-Bogor toll road. The couple, who were traveling to Bogor, would pass by the village.

As the vehicle approached the area of the village, the two suspects, who were sitting in the back seat of the Kijang van, asked Didi to pull off to the side of the road.

After Didi stopped the vehicle, Pono hit Didi in the head with a hammer while Nanang grabbed Susanti by the hair.

After rendering the victims unconscious, Pono drove the vehicle while Nanang murdered the couple in the back seat.

"I don't know what Nanang did to the two bodies," Pono said. "He later showed me Rp 3.2 million in cash and gave me Rp 1.5 million."

The suspects originally planned to burn the bodies to hide their crime.

"We bought gasoline and poured it on the bodies but we canceled this plan because we forgot to buy matches," Pono said.

They later dumped the bodies in a valley in Pasir Muncang.

Earlier, the couple's eldest daughter, Melianti, 26, said she, her three sisters and brother, were driving in front of their parents in another vehicle that evening because the family was planning to meet in Bogor.

"At first, we drove in a line before getting on the Jagorawi toll road," Melianti said. A few minutes after entering the toll road, the children lost sight of their parent's vehicle. (24/emf)