Six indicted for kidnapping tycoon
JAKARTA (JP): Six men were indicted at South Jakarta District Court yesterday for kidnapping the major shareholder of Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia (BDNI) and extorting Rp 15 billion (US$1.7 million) from him.
Prosecutor Uri Hasan Basri said the defendants -- Rodiaman Rachman, Kissinger M. Pandapotan, Supandi, Edy Sudrajat, Slamet Juardy, Ade Nurjaya, Bang Guan alias Benny, and Kamaludin -- kidnapped Sjamsul Nursalim and his driver, Sutarman, on Sept. 2, last year.
"The kidnapping was planned at Rodiaman's house in Sawangan, Bogor, a few days before the abduction," Uri said.
Uri said that Benny, the alleged mastermind of the abduction, had died in the detention center at Cipinang Penitentiary while awaiting trial, while Kamaludin was still at large.
Benny told his accomplices that he planned to kidnap a man who owed him billions of rupiah and promised them millions in return if they could kidnap Sjamsul and collect the money, the prosecutor said.
Benny, Kamaludin, Edy and Slamet spied on Sjamsul at his office on Jl. Hayam Wuruk, West Jakarta, while Rodiaman, Kissinger, Ade, and Supandi waited in front of Sjamsul's house on Jl. Hang Lekir, South Jakarta.
Uri said that Benny notified Rodiaman by telephone that Sjamsul had left his office at 7 p.m, asking him and the other three men to wait for the bank executive.
Rodiaman stopped his van in front of Sjamsul's house and acted as if his van had stalled. His intention was to block their target's Mercedes-Benz sedan from entering the house, the prosecutor told the court.
Supandi and Ade approached Sjamsul's car and knocked on the window, asking him for help.
One of the kidnappers pointed a gun at Sjamsul and his driver as soon as they opened the car doors, Uri said, reading from the indictment.
They handcuffed Sjamsul and Sutarman and blindfolded them before taking them to a house in the Duta Bandara Permai housing complex, Tangerang, he said.
The victims were allegedly taken to Rodiaman' house before they removed the masking tape which had been used to blindfold the two men.
"Do you remember me? I am the one you sent to jail," Benny was quoted by Uri as telling Sjamsul.
Uri said Sjamsul's relative, Johan Setiawan, was once involved in a debt dispute with Benny worth billions of rupiah.
Benny asked Sjamsul for 12.8 million Singapore dollars but Sjamsul agreed to pay Rp 15 billion or $7.5 million.
The prosecutor said Sjamsul then asked his wife, Itjih, to transfer the money to an account at Tat Lie Bank in Singapore which belonged to one of the accomplices.
The victims were released in the Puncak area, West Java, on Sept. 5 after Benny and Rodiaman managed to withdraw 2 million Singapore dollars from the bank, he said.
The defendants were arrested on Oct. 7.
They were charged under Criminal Code articles 368 on extortion and 333 on kidnapping which carry a maximum penalty of eight years in jail.
Presiding judge Hasan Mahyudin adjourned the trial to next week to hear witnesses' testimonies. (jun)