State prosecutors in the trial of those accused of the murder of businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen requested the Tangerang District Court Thursday to give life sentences to four defendants, saying their involvement in the assassination was clear and intentional.
All the prosecutors said they had concluded during the trial that the four defendants - Hendrikus Kia Walens, Fransiskus Tadon Kerans, Heri Santosa and Eduardus Ndopo Mbete - were punishable under Article 340 of the Criminal Code on premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty of death.
"We have not found anything that would mitigate the charges against the defendant," prosecutor Bambang Suharijadi said, adding that his team had considered the proposed life sentences as quite fair .
Another defendant, Daniel Daen Sabon, had earlier heard a similar request at Monday's hearing.
The five suspects, all of whom are charged with premeditated murder, have been tried in three separate trials in the court since August.
Nasruddin, a director of the pharmaceutical company PT Putra Rajawali Banjaran, was killed in a shooting in Tangerang on March 14.
During the probe, the police said they discovered evidence linking the murder with the former chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Antasari Azhar.
Antasari, who is currently a defendant in the murder trial, was accused of have masterminded the killing by engaging the help of his close friends over a love triangle between him, Nasruddin and Rani Juliani, Nasruddin's third wife.
Prosecutor Bambang said the defendant had acted consciously.
"He bought the firearm for the murder, surveying Nasruddin's house and helped block Nasruddin's car. These are more than enough *points* to find him guilty," he said.
After the trials, it was reported that the three panels of judges have been planning to pass sentence on the five defendants together on Dec. 17. "We hope we can finish the trials before the Christmas and New Year holidays," Arthur Hangewa, one of the judges.
