Police clamp down on Adiguna
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jakarta Police vowed on Monday to continue gathering evidence to complete the investigation into the murder of Yohannes Berchmans Haerudy Natong, or Rudy, involving Adiguna Sutowo, the son of the late Ibnu Sutowo, a former president director of state oil and gas company Pertamina.
Responding to a rumor that someone had tried to persuade the police to stop the investigation, city police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani said that they were determined to submit the case file to the prosecutor's office within the next two months with Adiguna as the sole suspect.
"We will finish the case file in two months at the latest. We are now gathering more evidence and are still questioning witnesses," said Firman on the sidelines of a preparatory meeting for the ASEAN Emergency Conference in Jakarta.
An officer at the National Police Headquarters said early on Monday that Adiguna's elder brother Ponco Sutowo, one of the owners of the Hilton Hotel in Central Jakarta, called Firman on Sunday night to talk about Adiguna's case.
"No, we have not received any threats, coercion or phone calls from anybody regarding the shooting case. In fact, the suspect is now under detention at city headquarters," said Firman.
Ponco Sutowo and Adiguna's lawyer Amir Karyatin were not available for comment on Monday.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had told the police to be transparent in handling the case, and not to tolerate such crimes.
Firman explained that his officers had questioned 12 witnesses, several of whom testified that Adiguna had pulled the trigger and killed Rudy.
The incident took place at 3:30 a.m. after a New Year's Eve celebration inside the Hilton Hotel's Fluid Club on Saturday. Witnesses said Adiguna quarreled with Rudy, who was a trainee waiter, when Rudy told Adiguna's female companion that her credit card had been rejected and asked for another one.
The suspect was reportedly furious with the victim and took out a gun and shot Rudy, who died instantly after a bullet entered his right temple and exited through the left side of his neck.
The case was initially handled by the Central Jakarta Police, but the Jakarta Police took it over due to its sensitive nature.
Firman said his officers were now also interrogating Adiguna's female friend as a witness in the case.
"We found 19 bullets and two bloodstained towels in Adiguna's hotel room. We are now matching the projectile that killed Rudy with the bullets as well as the blood from the towel with Rudy's blood," he said.
Firman said that the bullets were 20 millimeter and probably come from a revolver.
"We still can't determine whether the gun is legal or not as we haven't found it and the suspect still denies that he fired any shots. However, it makes no difference that he denies it as it doesn't affect the process," he said.
Amir Karyatin reportedly said his client refused to sign the case file, saying that he did not kill the waiter.
Amir claimed that Adiguna had instead helped Rudy, taking the injured waiter to the hotel clinic.