Police examine gun fingerprints in Adiguna case

Police examine gun fingerprints in Adiguna case

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police are examining the fingerprints on the gun allegedly used
by murder suspect Adiguna Sutowo to shoot Yohannes Berchmans
Haerudy Natong, or Rudy, a waiter at the Hilton Hotel in Central
Jakarta.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman said on Monday the
police forensic lab was examining a gun turned over by a man
identified only as Wwn on Friday night, to determine whether
Adiguna's fingerprints were on the weapon.

"We are still testing whether Adiguna's fingerprints are on
the gun. We hope we can determine this soon to complete the case
file," said Paiman.

He said it was possible the suspect's fingerprints had been
wiped off the .22 caliber revolver in an effort to eliminate
evidence.

"It would be better if we could find Adiguna's fingerprints
because it would strengthen our case against him. But if we can't
find his fingerprints it won't damage our case because we already
have a lot of evidence," Paiman said.

The police announced over the weekend they had received the
gun allegedly used in the murder from a man identified only as
Wwn, alias Sfr.

The gun is a silver and black revolver manufactured in the
U.S. by Smith and Wesson. Three bullets, similar to ones
discovered earlier in Adiguna's house, were still inside the
chambers.

Ballistic tests subsequently confirmed that the bullet that
killed Rudy was fired from the gun.

According to the police, Wwn, who was about a meter away from
Rudy at the time of the murder, was handed the gun by Adiguna
after the shooting. Afraid of being accused of murder, Wwn left
the scene and went into hiding, while following the latest
developments in the case through the media.

Wwn has reportedly told police that he witnessed Adiguna shoot
Rudy at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 1 in the Hilton's Fluid Club.

Asked whether the police would also charge Wwn if his
fingerprints were on the gun, Paiman said Wwn was a key witness
in the case and not a suspect.

Officers have questioned 19 other people as witnesses in the
murder, and at least three people have told officers they saw
Adiguna shoot Rudy.

Earlier on Monday, Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Firman Gani
said officers would reconstruct the shooting and submit the case
file to prosecutors this week.

"We hope to submit the case file to the prosecutor's office
two or three days after the reconstruction. We don't need a
confession from Adiguna to complete the case file because we have
all the witnesses and evidence to charge him," he said.

Adiguna continues to deny shooting Rudy, saying he was in
another room when the incident occurred. The suspect claims he
attempted to help the victim by ordering him rushed to a nearby
clinic.