Police review Ria's dossiers

Police review Ria's dossiers

JAKARTA (JP): The police are reviewing their dossiers on
starlet Ria Irawan, who faces charges of disposing of vital
evidence and tampering with the scene of the demise of Rifardi
Soekarnoputra who was found lifeless at her home in January.

Early last week, the South Jakarta police precinct received
Ria's dossiers back from the district prosecutor's office. The
prosecutor had refused to accept them for trial on the grounds
they were not complete.

Both parties have refused to clarify which part of the
dossiers need to be completed before they can be used as the
basis for a court trial.

"It's usual and allowed by the existing rules," Adang said
here yesterday, referring to the refusal by the prosecutor's
office to use the existing dossiers on Ria.

"If the prosecutor's office wants us to provide more data on
the case, we'll do so. But I can assure you there is nothing
unusual in the refusal of the files," he added.

Rifardi, 22, a former boyfriend of Ria, was found dead at the
starlet's house in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, at 8 a.m. on Jan.
12. The actress failed to report the case to the authorities
immediately because she was busy contacting a former high ranking
police officer and her private doctor for reasons that have yet
to be disclosed to the public.

Ria also failed to report to the police on the possession and
use of illegal drugs by the deceased.

Two other people are facing charges of aiding and abetting Ria
in the disposal of evidence in the controversial case which has
made headlines in many Indonesian newspapers.

Police said Rifardi died of drug overdose.

"Rifardi's death was purely of his own doing since he sniffed
white powder, which was believed to be a drug," Adang said
earlier.

He explained that the police had minimal evidence on the
actual circumstances of the death because based on Ria's
testimony Ria and Rifardi were the only people at the house.

Prison terms

Under Article 221 of the Indonesian Criminal Code, the actress
and the two suspects face maximum prison terms of nine months or
maximum fines of Rp 4,500 (US$2).

Rifardi was married to a 21-year-old woman named Riyalti,
alias Ipunk, at the time of his death.

Ria, 24, said that Rifardi came to her house at around 10 p.m.
on Jan. 11 to discuss marital problems. At the time, Ria was at
home with her new boyfriend, Rizal Mantovani, 26, and her make-up
artist, Anna. At around 10:30 p.m., Ria and Rizal left to drive
Anna home. According to Ria, Rifardi told her that he was also
going out.

Ipunk claims Rifardi arrived at their home, which is located
about two kilometers from Ria's house, at around 10:30 p.m. After
leaving his car, Rifardi then reportedly left without telling
Ipunk.

A security officer working at the nearby house of one of
Rifardi's friends told the police that he drove Rifardi to a
place close to Ria's house.

Ria and Rizal said that when they arrived home at around 2
a.m. they saw Rifardi playing the piano dressed only in his
underwear.

Rizal said that he went to sleep upstairs minutes later, while
Ria talked and played the piano with Rifardi until he fell
asleep.

Ria told the police that at the time she was with Rifardi, she
saw him holding some white powder, believed to have been an
illegal drug. She also claims she saw him sniffing the powder.

At 5:30 a.m., Rizal woke up and saw Ria sleeping near him. He
left the house immediately because he had to return the car he
had been using to his brother.

Ria said she woke up at around 7:30 a.m., put a blanket over
Rifardi, who was sleeping downstairs, and took a bath. Only
afterwards did she realize that Rifardi had died.

The actress told the police that she then panicked and asked
two film crew members to tamper with the scene and dispose of a
powder-filled saucer. (bsr)