Antasari accuses third party of taking advantage of his conflict with Nasruddin

Defendant Antasari Azhar testified before the court on Tuesday, accusing a third party of taking advantage of his conflict with the late Nasruddin Zulkarnaen following his meeting with Nasruddin's third wife at a hotel in South Jakarta.

“I once thought it was Nasruddin who had threatened my wife via phone calls when we were in Bali on Jan.1, 2009. But then I realized our conflict was over. So, I believe there was a third party who took advantage of our dispute,” Antasari said during the trial at South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

Antasari said that Nasruddin had sent a text message and had accused him of harassing his third wife Rhani Juliani.

“But then we met and I explained to him that I never did such a thing,” he said.

He added that two unknown persons had called his wife when they were celebrating New Year's Eve in Bali.

“There were two people. First, there was a male voice who warned me not to pursue corruption cases so rigorously. Then, there was a female voice who said she was too tired from ‘serving’ me every night,” he said.

Antasari is on trial for the murder of Nasruddin, who was gunned down after playing golf at the Modernland golf course in Cikokol, Tangerang, Banten.

Today's trial was marked with interruptions from the defendant's lawyers who complained about state prosecutors repeatedly asking the same questions.