Police are still unable to prove there is a connection between suspended Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Antasari Azhar and the five hitmen responsible for the murder of businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen.
On Wednesday, deputy Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga said that based on statements provided by the suspects, there was no proof Antasari was directly linked to the murder. "Those who carried out the murder never met Antasari," he said.
Throughout the trials at the Tangerang District Court of the five men accused of killing Nasruddin, Antasari's name has never been mentioned, prompting questions about whether Antasari was really involved in the murder or not.
While those five have faced trials, dossiers on three other suspects - media mogul Sigid Haryo Wibisono, police commissioner Sr. Comr. Wiliardi Wizar and Jerry Hermawan - have been handed to prosecutors and are ready for trial. Antasari is the only suspect whose dossier is still incomplete, three months after he was detained.
Antasari's dossier has been going back and forth between the Jakarta Police and the Attorney General Office (AGO) due to a lack of police evidence.
Last month the AGO returned the dossier and the police re-enacted several scenes in connection with the murder.
The first scene was the meeting between Antasari, Sigid and Wiliardi at Sigid's house in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
The second scene was an exchange between Antasari and Nasruddin's wife, Rhani Juliani, at the Grand Mahakam hotel.
The unfolding of both scenes have been challenged by Antasari's lawyers.
"The scenes were not in line with Antasari's testimony during questioning sessions. We will reject any testimonies made based on the scenes in the court," Antasari's lawyer Ari Yusuf Amir said.
The head of the violent crimes unit at the Jakarta Police, Adj. Sr. Comr. Nico Afinta Sukapiring, said he was not concerned.
"This would not be a problem for us. We'll see at the trial."
The ambiguity surrounding Antasari's role in the murder has led to his lawyers and NGO activists to claim he is trapped in a wider plot to bring down the KPK.
"From the moment my client was detained we believed this was a conspiracy," Ari said.
"Wiliardi is the key person behind this case. His testimony on April 30 sent my client to prison, but we have since heard that Wiliardi retracted his statement that Antasari ordered the assassination of Nasruddin," he said.
Ritonga said the five shooters, who faced their first trial Tuesday, were one element to the plot, while the other group were those allegedly responsible for orchestrating the murder to settle Antasari's personal problems with Nasruddin. Those individuals include Sigid, Wiliardi, Jerry and Antasari.
"The two circles are connected by Wiliardi," Ritonga said. (bbs)
