Police say Oki to be charged for murders
Police say Oki to be charged for murders
JAKARTA (JP): Police convinced members of the House of Representatives that Hernoko Dewantono, alias Oki, the main suspect in a triple murder in Los Angeles, will face murder charges.
"We're absolutely sure he'll be tried," National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro told House members overseeing legal affairs yesterday.
"I really hope that no one thinks the suspect will be released or that the case will be closed," said the four-star general.
Based on their investigation, which included the collection of data and information in Los Angeles, Jakarta police believe Oki, 30, killed Gina Sutan Aswar, his younger brother Tri (Eri) Harto Darmawan and his Indian business partner Suresh Mirchandani.
Although the city police have not revealed details, a reliable source told The Jakarta Post recently 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.
It's strongly believed that the local police delayed announcing the details because the Los Angeles police have refused to hand over evidence the Indonesian police need to satisfy the prosecutor's office and the court.
Oki was apprehended here on Jan. 7 for alleged passport forgery and was later questioned about the murders.
The police have already handed over the dossiers on Oki's alleged role in falsifying passports but have yet to submit the murder dossiers to the prosecutor's office.
Oki's trial for forgery will be held next Wednesday at the South Jakarta District Court, deputy head of the court Doris A.A. Taulo confirmed yesterday.
According to Banurusman, completion of the murder dossiers "is underway".
The police are still presenting the case to prosecutors from the City High Court in order to meet all prerequisites and allow the prosecutors to study the case in detail.
"If there's a need to ask for the delivery of other material evidence to complete the dossiers, we'll ask (the American police to send it to us)," Banurusman said. (bsr/imn)