Police inspect LA triple murder case evidence

Police inspect LA triple murder case evidence

JAKARTA (JP): National Police inspected material evidence from
the Los Angeles triple murder case involving Harnoko Dewantono
yesterday.

The material evidence, tightly sealed in two boxes and a bag,
consisted of 113 pieces of material evidence. Included were two
guns, a .38 caliber revolver and plastic used for wrapping
corpses.

The evidence was opened in the presence of National Police
Spokesman Brig. Gen. I Ketut Ratta, chief of the Forensic
Laboratory Center Brig. Gen. Untung Haryanto, head of the Jakarta
Police Crime Investigation Directorate Col. Nurfaizi, Attorney
Officer for General Crime Ardenan Kasihan, the main suspect Oki,
his father and his lawyer Ruhut Sitompul.

The opening of the packages, which were received two weeks ago
from the Los Angeles Police Department, was conducted by police
officers from the Forensic Laboratory Center.

In line with existing regulations at least two witnesses must
be present while the evidence is removed, including the suspect.

Nurfaizi stated that the material evidence will be used by
local police to complete their dossier on Oki before sending it
on to the prosecutors' office.

Brig. Gen. Untung Haryanto told reporters the Forensic
Laboratory Center will help city police investigators to
carefully examine material evidence. "We have adequate staff and
instruments to examine material evidence."

Oki acknowledged that the plastic belonged to him but denied
ownership of the weapons.

Responding to Oki's denial, Nurfaizi said: "Expert officers of
the Forensic Laboratory Center will examine the material
evidence's validity, and the court will use it in the trial."

Oki, who was on trial for passport forgery, is believed to
have killed his friend Gina Sutan Aswar, his younger brother Tri
(Eri) Harto Darmawan and his Indian business partner Suresh
Mirchandani.

A police officer said that Suresh was tortured and shot to
death in August 1991 and Gina was battered to death on Nov. 2,
1992, in Kentfield Brentwood in Los Angeles. Eri was beaten to
death at an apartment on Palm Boulevard, also in Los Angeles,
several days after Gina's death.

The bodies of the three victims had been kept in a storage
locker since May 1993 before being found by the Los Angeles
police in August last year. (29/hhr)