U.S. detective says Oki can't be link to death

JAKARTA (JP): The trial of an Indonesian charged with a Los Angeles triple murder took a new twist yesterday when a U.S. detective said he could not find substantial evidence linking the suspect, Harnoko Dewantono, alias Oki, to one of the victim's deaths.

Edward Ramirez, 44, a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) detective, said LAPD investigators did not find any finger prints on the layers of plastic bags used to wrap the third victim, Suresh Mirchandani, who was reported missing on Aug. 19, 1991.

"We could not trace any finger prints. The plastic bags were completely wet with the liquid oozing from the body," Ramirez told presiding Judge Sukarata at the Central Jakarta District Court.

Oki denied he planned Mirchandani's murder.

On Tuesday Ted Ball, also a LAPD police detective told the court he was convinced Oki killed the three victims.

Forensic examination results showed the body was that of Mirchandani, an Indian and Oki's business partner. Police found three corpses in August 1994 in the U-Haul storage building in North Ridge, Los Angeles.

Oki, 32, was charged with murdering Mirchandani, Indonesian woman Gina Sutan Aswar, and his younger brother Triharto Dharmawan, alias Eri, in Los Angeles between August 1991 and November 1992.

Gina was also Oki's business partner.

Police found a bullet in Mirchandani's spinal column. The corpse's chest was cut wide open. The victim's heart and lungs were missing and his hands were cut off, Ramirez said.

Ramirez, who has worked on the LAPD's homicide squad for 17 years, said Mirchandani's corpse was made worse because it had been buried in a yard behind Oki's L.A. house before being moved to the storage building.

When Judge Subardi asked whether the LAPD could identify who shot Mirchandani after comprehensive ballistic examinations, Ramirez said "it is impossible to determine."

Ramirez said Mirchandani was killed in a red Audi car on a L.A. highway. He said he could not determine whether the car was moving when Mirchandani was shot.

"The blood stains found under the car's back seat cannot provide a clue as to from which direction the Indian was shot," he said.

Ramirez said he had no idea who bought two 38-caliber Taurus rifles which might have been used to kill Mirchandani.

However based on Oki's admission to Jakarta police early last year, Ramirez said he could conclude Oki killed Mirchandani.

"He looked normal during the interrogation and seemed to have no problem at all," he said.

Ramirez said Oki was enraged because Mirchandani owed him US$ 75,000 from his dry-cleaning business which Mirchandani bought.

The detective said Mirchandani did not pay Oki the rest of the money because the dry cleaning business was unprofitable, but Oki wanted the rest of the money.

"Oki asked Mirchandani to walk out of his house, before the latter was killed," Ramirez said.

He said based on information from Oki's ex-girlfriend, Ipunk, Oki ordered her to buy a box which was allegedly used to store the body.

"I believe the murder was premeditated," he said.

Oki also denied the dry-cleaning business was unprofitable.

The trial was adjourned until Dec. 6. (07)