Riau Island police official detained over wife’s murder charges

The National Police have announced the arrest of Riau Islands Police official Adj. Sr. Comr. Mindo Tampubolon for allegedly masterminding the murder of his wife, Putri Mega Umboh, daughter of former Pekanbaru Police chief Sr. Comr. James Umboh.

“Yes, we have named him a suspect and detained [Mindo] at the National Police detainment center,” National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution, said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Friday.

Riau Islands Police crime director Sr. Comr. Wibowo said that Mindo had been questioned since Tuesday by a joint team from the Riau Islands Police and the National Police.

Putri was found dead with seven wounds in the Telaga Punggur jungle in Batam, Riau Islands on June 26 this year. She was allegedly killed by her maid, Rosma and Rosma’s boyfriend, Gugun Gunawan, otherwise known as Ujang.

During the questioning, Ujang and Rosma unveiled that Mindo was not only the mastermind behind the killing but had also contributed to it and had disposed of his wife's body in the nearest jungle.

Mindo’s lawyer, Hotma Sitompul, said his client had denied the allegations, arguing that he was at his office when the murder occurred on June 24.

Hotma added that the Riau Islands Police did not have enough evidence to name Mindo a suspect in the case. (swd)