Oki sentenced to death for L.A. triple murder

JAKARTA (JP): Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, was sentenced to death for first degree murder by a panel of judges in the Central Jakarta District Court, yesterday.

Oki, 32, was found guilty of murdering three people: his Indian business partner Suresh Mirchandani; Indonesian business partner Gina Sutan Aswar, and his younger brother Tri Harto Darmawan alias Eri, in California, the United States, in 1991 and 1992.

Judge I.G.K. Sukarata said Oki was guilty under article 340 of the Criminal Code for premeditated murder.

"The murders was extremely brutal, and one of the victims was his own brother. He also cunningly accused his brother for killing Suresh, and gave a confusing testimony," Sukarata said.

He also said that because the crime was committed overseas it was an embarrassment to Indonesia.

Sukarata said there was no reason to be lenient because what Oki did was sadistic.

The packed courtroom included Ted Ball and Ed Ramirez, detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department, who investigated the case in the United States. Outside the court they said they were satisfied with the verdict.

Ball told reporters that he trusted the law system here and the verdict was as he expected. "All the evidence was clear in proving Oki's involvement in the crime, and as far as we're concern the case is finished," he said.

Ball and Ramirez were sent here by their police department at the invitation of the Indonesian Police Department to observe to observed the trial.

Spectators also included Gina Sutan Aswar's sisters and brother, while Oki's family was nowhere to be seen.

After the hearing, one of Oki's lawyers said Oki's family did not attend the hearing to avoid media attention.

"It was hard enough for them," he said.

The hearing was covered by dozens of reporters from local and foreign media.

Oki's team of lawyers immediately requested permission to appeal to a higher court, which the court granted.

Henry Yosodiningrat, one of the lawyers, said, "As we had stated before in the defense statement, our client did not kill Suresh, and that he was sorry for what he did."

Outside the court, Henry also said the judges did not take into consideration that the defendant had apologized for any wrongdoing and that he was polite during the trial.

Henry told reporters that the judges only relied on the witnesses' testimony and Oki's testimony on the killing of Suresh.

"But we believe that all witnesses could not prove that Oki was the killer," he added.

Oki, who wore a black suit and dark blue tie, was motionless throughout the trial. He only moved after the judges finished reading the verdict.

After the hearing, reporters immediately surrounded Oki and bombarded him with questions, which he did not answer. He remained calm and expressionless when Henry held him and whispered something.

But he was close to tears when reporters interviewed him in his detention cell in the courthouse.

He said that he did not kill Suresh, and that he had prayed and asked Allah to forgive his sins. "I never killed Suresh, this sentence is too hard for me, the judge was wrong to give me this sentence," he said.

Meanwhile, Judge Sukarata said this was the first time in the 32 years of his career he had sentenced someone to death.

"I believe I made the right decision, which I have considered over and over."

Safiya Sutan Aswar, Gina Sutan Aswar's older sister, said her family accepted the verdict and was glad the trial was over. (12)