Robbery defendant gets 10 years

BOGOR (JP): Heri Faisal, alias Hendrik, one of the four suspects in last October's Jagorawi toll road robbery and murder, was sentenced to 10 years in jail by the district court here Saturday.

The sentence half that demanded by the prosecutors.

The panel of judges, presided by Usman Wahab, said the punishment for the 28-year-old defendant reflected the fact that Hendrik played only a minor role in the robbery and murder case.

"The mastermind of the crime is Mikel and the alleged murderer ... is Budiarto," Usman told the court, citing the name of two other suspects.

The judges also said they gave a lighter-than-demanded sentence because the defendant had admitted his guilt and shown remorse in court.

Hendrik is the only accused to have been detained in relation to the crime.

Another suspect, Erling Doli Wijaya alias Mikel, was arrested but escaped from an escort of Bogor Prosecutor's Office guards.

Their other two alleged accomplices, Budiarto and Iskandar, are still at large.

The four are charged with stealing Rp 312 million (US$115,555) from a car and shooting the driver Zainuddin, all on Oct. 11. (24/bsr)