Oki denies press consul's testimony

JAKARTA (JP): The defendant in the trial of an Indonesian charged with a Los Angeles triple murder denied yesterday an Indonesian embassy official's testimony about on one of their meetings.

H.A. Caliandra Sujana, protocol and press consul of Indonesia's Consulate General in Los Angeles, U.S., said the defendant, Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, went to the embassy three times after being charged with murder.

Caliandra said the first meeting was in October 1991 with his brother, Eri Tri Harto Darmawan, but Oki denied this saying he was in Jakarta from October 1991 until January 1992.

In the alleged October 1991 meeting Oki complained he was constantly followed by U.S. intelligence personnel, Caliandra said.

He said Oki's second visit was in February 1992 after the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) questioned him about missing Indian businessman, Suresh Mirchandani, who was Oki's business partner.

Caliandra said Oki told him Mirchandani might have returned to his country.

Caliandra said the third visit was in December 1992 when Oki came to the consulate with his wife, Anggia Hasti.

The consulate asked Oki to come after there were reports of a missing Indonesian woman, Gina Sutan Aswar, who was Oki's friend.

Caliandra said Oki had told him he and Anggia had gone to pick up Gina at Los Angeles airport on Nov. 2. but Gina was not there.

Gina's and Mirchandani's bodies were found in a Los Angeles warehouse in August 1994, along with the remains of Eri.

Oki, 31, is charged with murdering them between August 1991 and November 1992.

At yesterday's hearing Caliandra, who was Gina's relative, played a recorded conversation between himself and Oki.

Caliandra said the conversation took place during Oki's first visit to the consulate in October 1991.

Oki admitted the conversation but still denied being at the consulate at that time.

Oki's denials prompted presiding judge I.G.K. Sukarata to ask Caliandra to extend his stay here to testify again.

In questioning at the consulate regarding Mirchandani, Caliandra said Oki had told him he was upset with Mirchandani because he had not paid a debt.

On Tuesday, Los Angeles deputy sheriff Jacqueline Franco testified Mirchandani owed Oki US$75,000 for buying his dry- cleaning business.

Yesterday Gilbert Aquillard, a Los Angeles expert on fingerprint comparison, said he found 40 fingerprints belonging to Oki, out of 75 prints he received from Franco and Charles L. Claudell, LAPD fingerprint specialists.

Aquillard said he compared the fingerprints from his colleagues with fingerprint samples sent by Indonesian police.

Judge Sukarata adjourned the trial until Tuesday to hear other witnesses for the prosecutor. (05)