Suspect faces 7 years over murder

JAKARTA (JP): A government prosecutor yesterday demanded a seven-year jail term for a small-time contractor he accused of complicity in the 1994 murder of impresario Nyo Beng Seng.

Prosecutor M. Yusuf told the North Jakarta District Court that the defendant, TP, drove the man who was hired to kill Beng Seng, on April 7, 1994 to where he could point out the target and gave him Rp 5 million ($2,200) to buy a motorcycle, which was used later as a get away transportation.

The defendant is accused of violating Article 56 of the Criminal Code which states that anyone who aids in a capital crime faces a maximum punishment of 15 years imprisonment.

Yusuf dropped an earlier charge that TP was involved directly in the murder.

Two men have already been convicted for Beng Seng's murder. One of them, Agiono bin Safran, received 20 years imprisonment while the other Sudartono alias Atok, received 15 years. Both men jointly stabbed the victim to death.

Mansion

The killing was carried out at Beng Seng's mansion in Pluit, North Jakarta, on April 13.

Police believe the murder was ordered by renowned gambler Hong Lie and other business rivals of Beng Seng. Hong Lie, for whom a police arrest warrant has been issued, is no longer in the country. In a press interview given in Singapore last year, Hong Lie denied that he was behind the killing.

Gambling

Beng Seng, also known as Darmansyah Sujadi, was the owner of a leading music recording company, PT. Irama Tara, and several massage parlors and nightclubs in Jakarta. He was also a contact person for Indonesians who wanted to gamble at exclusive locations in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Australia.

Prosecutor Yusuf said that TP, alias Opiu, has admitted during police interrogation that he drove Agiono to the victim's mansion and gave him Rp 5 million.

In earlier hearings, TP, 37, denied all the charges and said that the incriminating statements were given to the police under duress. He said he was signed the police statement because he could no longer bear the torture.

The prosecutors pointed out that one of the interrogators in a court testimony denied the tortures. They also argued that the same court had ignored a similar retraction by Agiono, who was subsequently convicted of the murder.

Presiding Judge Suwardi adjourned the trial for seven days to allow TP and his lawyers Ruhut Sitompul and Tommy Sihotang to prepare their closing arguments. (26)