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)