Prosecutors Conclude that There was No Sexual Harassment
Based on Putri's confession, sexual violence occurred on 8 July. Yet is has been ultimately ruled that sexual violence did not occur at the official residence of Sambo as police in Duren Tiga on that date.
By
NORBERTUS ARYA DWIANGGA MARTIAR, REBIYYAH SALASAH
·5 minutes read
ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA
Defendant Ricky Rizal prepares to leave the South Jakarta District Court, Monday (16/1/2023). In this trial, Ricky Rizal was charged with eight years in prison.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The public prosecutor team concluded that there was no sexual harassment committed by Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat, widely known as Brigadier J, against Putri Candrawathi in Magelang, Central Java. The prosecutor judged what happened was an affair between the two. This was concluded from, among other things, the results of the examination by polygraph experts on Putri and information from Kuat Ma'ruf about a "thorn in the household".
The general prosecutor's view was conveyed at the trial of the defendant who allegedly helped plan the murder of Nofriansyah, Kuat Ma'ruf, who was also a former household assistant of the Ferdy Sambo family, at the South Jakarta District Court, Monday (16/1/2023). At a separate trial on the same day, the prosecutor also read the demands of the team for defendant Ricky Rizal, a former aide of Sambo. Kuat and Ricky were demanded to be sentenced to eight years in prison.
In the trial of the defendant Kuat, the prosecutor team led by Sugeng Hariadi first described the statement of Putri who claimed to have experienced sexual harassment. The statement was conveyed by Putri at the beginning of the case, where the death of Nofriansyah was described as a firing event between Nofriansyah and Richard Eliezer at the official residence of her husband, then- internal affairs chief Ferdy Sambo, in Duren Tiga, Jakarta, on 8 July 2022. Likewise with Putri's statement after it was revealed that Nofriansyah was killed on the order of Sambo after Putri was harassed by Nofriansyah on 7 July at the house in Magelang.
Related to this, the prosecutor said, based on Putri's confession, sexual violence occurred on 8 July. Yet is has been ultimately ruled that sexual violence did not occur at the official residence of Sambo as police in Duren Tiga on that date.
"Based on testimony of witnesses Richard Eliezer Pudihang Lumiu and Susi [Putri's household assistant], neither knew of harassment that took place in Magelang on 7 July," said the prosecutor.
There was an affair between witness Putri Candrawathi and victim Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat.
Therefore, the prosecutor said, the testimony of the two witnesses was not in accordance with the statement of psychologist Reni Kusumowardhani that Putri's statement about the occurrence of harassment was worthy of trust. Reni's statement was also considered to be contrary to the statement of polygraph expert, Adi Febrianto, who said Putri’s polygraph results indicated she was lying when she responded to the question "were you having an affair with Joshua in Magelang?"
"It can be concluded that there was no harassment on 7 July 2022 in Magelang, but that there was an affair between witness Putri Candrawathi and victim Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat," said the prosecutor.
ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA
Defendant Ricky Rizal (left) talks with his lawyer after a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court, Monday (16/1/2023).
The conclusion that there was no harassment was strengthened by the statement of criminologist Muhammad Mustofa, who said that harassment could be used as a motive if strengthened by evidence. However, the evidence cannot only come from one defendent. The prosecutor also brought up the testimony of Kuat Ma'ruf who asked Putri to report to Sambo so that there was no thorn in the household.
"The thorn in question was the victim [Nofriansyah] Yosua Hutabarat. Thus, from the series [of assessments] it can be assessed that in fact the defendant Kuat Ma'ruf already knew about the relationship that triggered the elimination of the life of the victim Yosua Hutabarat," said the prosecutor.
Participating
In the trial, the prosecutor demanded that Kuat Ma'ruf be sentenced to eight years in prison, reduced by the arrest and detention period. The prosecutor believed Kuat knew of the planned murder of Nofriansyah. This was shown through several events that were carried out by Kuat, namely when Kuat entered the house in Duren Tiga.
In addition, Kuat also closed the front door of the house, which was intended to reduce the sound and close the access so Nofriansyah could not escape. The same thing was done by Kuat on the second floor, namely the closing of the balcony door, even though the day was still bright. These were usually the task of Diryanto, alias Kodir, as the household assistant of the Sambo family at the family house in Duren Tiga.
However, the prosecutor judged that Kuat did not have any personal motivation, but was only following the evil will of other actors.
Meanwhile, Ricky Rizal was also demanded to be sentenced for eight years in prison as he was considered to have participated in the planned murder of Nofriansyah.
The prosecutor considered that Ricky's rejection of Sambo’s request for him to shoot Nofriansyah was only due to his unreadiness to shoot Nofriansyah. However, when asked to back up Sambo if Nofriansyah fought, Ricky did not refuse or try to stop it. Ricky showed the support for, or equal will to Sambo by being present with Sambo at the Duren Tiga house when the shooting was carried out.
Likewise just before the shooting, Ricky chose not to enter the house and was in the garage. This was to ensure that Nofriansyah did not go anywhere.
The trial of defendants Kuat and Ricky will continue next week with the agenda of reading the defense memorandum.
