Oki trial to begin this week

JAKARTA (JP): The long-awaited trial of Harnoko Dewantoro, better known as Oki, for his alleged involvement in a triple murder in the United States will begin on Thursday, a court official said.

According to Budiman Sijabat, head of the crime division at the Central Jakarta district court, the team of judges will be made up of I.G.K. Sukarata, the head of the court, Subardi and Alboin Sianipar.

J. Kamaru, M. Yamin, R. Widyo Pramono and M. Yusuf make up the team of prosecutors.

Oki, 32, is accused of killing his brother, Eri Tri Harto Darmawan, 26, his woman friend Gina Sutan Aswar, 28, and his Indian business colleague, Suresh Mischandani, 45, on separate occasions in Los Angeles in 1991 and 1992.

Oki, who will be defended by lawyer Ruhut Sitompul, was arrested in Central Jakarta in January 1995. He was tried for and found guilty of passport forgery in June that year, for which he is now serving a two-year sentence at the Cipinang penitentiary in East Jakarta.

Earlier, prosecutor Kamaru said that 122 pieces of evidence would be presented before the court, including cases allegedly used to store the bodies and a box used to store the weapon allegedly used to shoot one of the victims.

The testimonies of 41 witnesses will be heard, Kamaru added, including 23 witnesses from the U.S. (14)