Ferdy Sambo’s motivation to murder Brig. Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, including his attempt to cover up the crime afterwards, was underpinned by his close ties with several police officers.
By
NORBERTUS ARYA DWIANGGA MARTIAR, DIAN DEWI PURNAMASARI, Stephanus Aranditio
·6 minutes read
KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN
The defendant in the premeditated murder case against Brigadier Nofriansyah and the alleged obstruction of investigation, Ferdy Sambo, wipes sweat at the trial of the South Jakarta District Court, Jakarta, Monday (17/10/2022).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Former National Police internal affairs (Propam) chief Ferdy Sambo’s ability to involve several aides and colleagues through his close ties with them has underpinned his attempt to cover up the murder of Brig. Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat. This is also why so many police officers have been detained in this case.
A public prosecutor outlined this “kinship approach” when reading out the two charges against Sambo at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday (17/10/2022). During the opening hearing, which was presided over by a judicial panel headed by Wahyu Iman Santosa and closely guarded by the police, the prosecution read out the charges laid against Sambo and his wife Putri Candrawathi, as well as Second Agent (Bhayangkara Dua) Richard Eliezer, Brig. Ricky Rizal and Kuat Ma’ruf for their involvement in the premeditated murder of Nofriansyah, under Article 340 and Article 55, paragraph 1 to 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP).
In addition, the prosecution has charged Sambo with tampering with electronic systems, which is punishable under Article 49 and Article 33 of Law No. 19/2016 amending Law No. 11/2008 on electronic information and transactions, as well as Article 55 paragraph 1 to 1 of the KUHP. The electronic systems refer to several CCTV surveillance cameras at Sambo’s official residence on Jl. Duren Tiga, South Jakarta, where Nofriansyah was killed on 8 July 2022.
A member of the prosecution, Rudy Irmawan, alleged that while planning the murder on 8 July, Sambo asked his aide Ricky Rizal if he was bave enough to shoot Nofriansyah, to which Ricky replied that he was not mentally strong enough. Sambo then approached his other aide, Richard Eliezer, and explained that Nofriansyah had sexually assaulted his wife Putri on 7 July in Magelang, Central Java. Upon hearing this, Eliezer apparently took on the task willingly.
While the indictment was being read out, Sambo, seated in the defendant’s chair, diligently made notes on his copy of the indictment.
In order to carry out the murder, Sambo was also assisted by Putri. The prosecution alleged that Putri had asked Sambo’s aides, namely Ricky, Eliezer and Nofriansyah, to head from her private residence on Jl. Saguling, South Jakarta, to her husband’s official residence in Duren Tiga, where Nofriansyah was to be killed.
Come on, shoot! Shoot now! Hurry up, shoot!
Taking a separate car, Sambo immediately carried out his plans in the living room of his official residence upon his arrival there. He then instructed Kuat Ma’ruf, a domestic worker, to call for Ricky and Nofriansyah. On Kuat carrying out that order, Eliezer approached Sambo and stood on his right. In a high-pitched voice, the prosecutor claimed Sambo ordered, “Cock your gun!”
When Nofriansyah arrived later, Sambo allegedly grabbed him by the neck and pushed him. At that time, Putri was in a room 3 meters away from where Nofriansyah was. The prosecutor alleged that Nofriansyah had then asked, “What is happening?” Instead of explaining, Sambo ordered Eliezer to shoot Nofriansyah. “Come on, shoot! Shoot now! Hurry up, shoot!” the prosecutor said, imitating Sambo.
Eliezer then shot Nofriansyah three or four times, causing him to fall to the ground. Sambo then shot Nofriansyah in the head, killing him.
FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN
South Jakarta District Court officers open the handcuffs of defendant Ricky Rizal in the murder case of Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, in the South Jakarta District Court courtroom, Monday (17/10/2022).
Like brothers
The prosecution, on reading out the second charge, alleged that Sambo again involved his police colleagues to cover up the murder. They destroyed CCTV footage in the security post of the housing complex where Nofriansyah was killed. Sambo convinced his colleagues that Nofriansyah was killed in a shootout with Eliezer after he was caught sexually assaulting Putri.
Regarding the second charge, the prosecutor stated that Sambo had carried out the crime with Hendra Kurniawan, Arif Rachman Arifin, Chuck Putranto, Baiquni Wibowo, Agus Nurpatria Adi Purnama and Irfan Widyanto. Sambo had spoken to them like an older brother to involve his colleagues. Imitating the way Sambo spoke to Hendra, the prosecutor said, “Your Mbak [older sister] was sexually assaulted. She screamed. Nofriansyah panicked and left the room.”
According to this scenario, Sambo asked his colleagues to investigate Nofriansyah’s death at his official residence while the case was being handled by the South Jakarta Police. This included checking the CCTV footage at Sambo’s official residence.
Why can’t you look me in the eye when you already know what happened to your Mbak [older sister].
While inspecting the CCTV, Chuck Putranto found footage of Nofriansyah walking in the garden next to Sambo’s official residence. The footage shocked Arif Rachman Arifin, because it did not add up with the information he had received from the South Jakarta Police that Nofriansyah had sexually assaulted Putri and then caused a shootout with Eliezer. Arif thus reported the matter to Hendra, his direct supervisor at the National Police’s internal affairs division.
Hendra and Arif then approached Sambo over what Arif had seen in the CCTV footage. Sambo apparently said that this wasn’t an issue. Arif noticed at the time that Sambo’s voice was beginning to rise, so he said, “You don’t believe me?” Sambo then ordered Hendra to check with the other officers who had also seen the CCTV footage, addressing them as “younger brothers”: “Ndra, check with our younger brothers, make sure everything is in order,” he said.
Arif, who was convinced that there was nothing wrong with the CCTV footage, did not dare to look at Sambo. “Why can’t you look me in the eye when you already know what happened to your Mbak [older sister],” the prosecutor said, mimicking Sambo.
Sambo then allegedly burst into tears. Hendra reassured Arif by saying, “it’s alright ‘Rif, let’s just trust him.” Afterwards, Sambo again urged Hendra and Arif to “make sure everything is clean”.
After the indictment was read out, Sambo objected through a member of his legal team objected, Berlian D. Simbolon, saying that the prosecution’s indictment did not include a detailed background on the defendant and his entourage while they were in Magelang from 4-7 July.
The court session on Monday also heard the charges against Putri, Ricky and Kuat one after the other, their indictments almost identical to Sambo’s. In response to the indictment against her, Putri also submitted an objection through her attorney
Meanwhile, Ricky and Kuat plan to file an objection on Thursday (20/10). Eliezer’s trial will open on Tuesday (8/10).
/https%3A%2F%2Fasset.kgnewsroom.com%2Fphoto%2Fpre%2F2022%2F10%2F17%2Fae07dd81-99bb-4d35-aac1-47749a56cc52_jpg.jpg){kind=logo}
