he Bogor Police have questioned 11 witnesses as part of an investigation into the death of Hari Darmawan, 77, the founder of popular retail chain Matahari Department Store. They have also seized several items of evidence, namely Hari’s clothing, one of his shoes and Rp 4 million (US$280) found in his trouser pocket.
His bag and cell phone were reported missing. Hari was found dead in the Ciliwung River near his villa in Puncak, Bogor, West Java on Saturday.
“According to our crime scene investigation, we have reached the preliminary conclusion that Hari fell into the river while at his villa on Jl. Hankam, Cisarua,” said Bogor Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Andi M Ricky on Monday.
Several witnesses said that on Friday, the day he was declared missing, Hari had presided over a meeting at Taman Wisata Matahari amusement park. At 7 p.m., he, along with four of his staff members, had dinner at a pizza restaurant in Cisarua. After the dinner, Hari reportedly asked his driver, Oki, to take him to his villa by the Ciliwung River.
At 9.25 p.m., Hari ordered Oki to bring him a bottle of water. Oki went to Hari’s car to take the water and returned five minutes later to find that his boss was no longer there.
“[Oki said] it was dark and raining hence he reported the incident to security officers at the amusement park, who were unable to find Hari’s whereabouts. They then asked for help from the search and rescue team,” Andi explained.
The 77-year-old businessman’s body was found some 100 meters from where he was last seen.
The Bogor Police did not find any signs of violence on Hari’s body, “only several bruises, allegedly caused by the rocks in the river,” said Andi.
“We’re collecting as much information and evidence as possible, so we can conduct a crime scene investigation. And because Hari’s phone is missing, we’ll also ask the the telecommunications operator to provide us with details about his last conversation using the phone,” he added. (vla)
Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.