Wed, 17 Sep 2003

Police claim enough evidence on Gunawan plot

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

City police chief detectives Sr. Comr. Mathius Salempang revealed on Tuesday that police had collected sufficient evidence to charge businessman Gunawan Santosa for the murder of PT Aneka Sakti Bakti (Asaba) president director Boedyharto Angsono on July 19.

"So we won't have to depend on Gunawan's statements to confirm his involvement in the murder as we have gathered sufficient evidence," Mathius told The Jakarta Post. He did not specify what evidence the police had.

Gunawan, who was arrested last Friday in a rented room on Jl. Gunung Sahari, Central Jakarta, has been named a suspect for allegedly masterminding the fatal shooting of his former father- in-law, Boedyharto, and his bodyguard, an active member of the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus), Second Sgt. Edy Siyep.

He has also been accused of shooting PT Asaba finance director Paulus Tejakusuma on June 5. Paulus was critically wounded.

Four marines allegedly hired to kill Boedyharto reportedly admitted to being paid for Rp 4 million to kill Boedyharto, but police sources said that Gunawan had transferred Rp 200 million to an account belong to one of the marines just two days after the shooting.

Officer Mathius revealed that the police had finished quizzing the four marines.

"We only need their statements to complete the dossier on Gunawan Santosa concerning the latter's involvement in the murder," he said.

Six police investigators were sent on Sunday to the Navy's military police base in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, where the marines are being detained, to quiz the four -- identified only as Second Lt. SAS, Second Corp. SR, Second Corp. FH and First Pvt. SS. All four are members of Marine Infantry Brigade 2, based in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

The four have been detained since July 31.

Mathius refused to say whether police investigators would confront Gunawan with the marines.

"That's up to the investigators," he said.

On Tuesday, the police grilled a witness named Marta, 39, an employee of the Elise Salon in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, who helped Gunawan find a plastic surgeon.

"He only came once to the Elise Salon. He asked me to reshape his eyebrows. Then he asked me about a plastic surgeon, and I recommended him to Dr. Affandi," said Marta.

He claimed that he was no longer in contact with Gunawan after he sent Gunawan to the Tria Dipa Hospital in Pancoran for plastic surgery.

He recalled that Gunawan went to his salon on Jan 20, only five days after he had escaped from Kuningan Penitentiary, where he was serving a two-year, six-month prison sentence for embezzlement.