Policewoman Sentenced to 10 Years for Husband's Murder, Dishonourably Discharged

The career of Brigadier Rizka Sintiyani has come to an end. Sentenced to 10 years for murder, she has also been sanctioned with a dishonourable discharge (PTDH) following a code of ethics hearing by the West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Regional Police. ‘The result of the ethics hearing is PTDH (dishonourable discharge),’ stated NTB Police Head of Public Relations, Senior Commissioner Mohammad Kholid, on Tuesday (30/6/2026). Rizka received the PTDH sanction after being found in violation of Article 13 Paragraph (1) of Government Regulation Number 1 of 2003 concerning the Dismissal of Police Members, in conjunction with Article 5 paragraph (1) letter b and/or Article 13 letter h and/or Article 13 letter m of the Republic of Indonesia National Police Regulation Number 7 of 2022 concerning the Professional Code of Ethics and the Police Code of Ethics Commission. ‘(Rizka’s dismissal) is based on the verdict of the code of ethics hearing at the NTB Regional Police,’ Kholid added.

Rizka was previously found guilty in the murder case of her husband, Brigadier Esco. The Mataram District Court judges sentenced Rizka to 10 years in prison during a hearing on 19 June. The sentence was lighter than the 14-year sentence demanded by prosecutors. The panel of judges, chaired by I Putu Suyoga, declared Rizka Sintiyani legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing physical violence within the domestic sphere that resulted in the victim’s death. Besides Rizka, there were four other defendants in the case: Siaun, Nuraini, Paozi, and Dani Rifkan. These four defendants were sentenced to eight months and seven days in prison for their involvement in concealing Brigadier Esco’s body.

Brigadier Esco was found dead in a horrific state in the garden behind his house in Nyiur Lembang Hamlet, Jembatan Gantung Village, Lembar District, West Lombok, on 24 August 2025. The body of the Sekotong Police Sector intelligence officer was found decomposing with a rope tied around his neck under a tree. Initially, Esco was suspected of having died by suicide. However, based on the results of the inquiry and investigation, police found evidence that Esco died as a result of murder. The West Lombok Police subsequently named five suspects, including Brigadier Rizka, who was none other than Brigadier Esco’s wife.

During the trial, Rizka’s motive for killing her husband was revealed, namely economic problems and a household that was no longer harmonious. ‘The defendant’s motive for committing the crime was economic,’ said Chief Judge I Putu Suyoga on Friday (19/6/2026). Based on the facts of the trial, Brigadier Esco reportedly had debts totalling tens of millions of rupiah in several places that were due on 20 August 2025. The debt repayment deadline was just days before Esco was found dead. ‘The defendant also complained about the remuneration money that the victim had not yet transferred,’ Suyoga added. Defendant Rizka had also stated that the debt was Esco’s affair. She had even refused to let her car be used as collateral to pay off the debt. Suyoga stated that other motives in the case were revenge and the disharmony of the marriage between Esco and Rizka. ‘The subsequent motives were revenge and domestic disharmony,’ he said. According to testimony from Esco’s parents, defendant Rizka had wanted to divorce the victim because she was tired of the economic and debt problems. Other witness statements also mentioned the occurrence of domestic violence within the police couple’s household. According to the judge, Rizka had also sent threatening messages to Esco. The judge stated that Rizka killed her husband to escape the debt problems and to gain control of assets including a car, money, inheritance, and other items. ‘This is evidenced by the defendant’s behaviour after the incident, which focused more on money and assets than on searching for her missing husband,’ the judge added.