Police Examine 5 Witnesses In The Case Of Wakatobi DPRD Member Litao As A Murder Suspect In 2014

Director of Criminal Investigation at the Southeast Sulawesi Police, Kombes Wisnu Wibowo, when interviewed in Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi (11/9/2025). (ANTARA/La Ode Muh Deden Saputra)

SULTRA - The Directorate of General Criminal Investigation (Dit Reskrimum) of the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police (Polda) examined as many as five witnesses related to the case of a member of the Wakatobi Regency DPRD, Litao, who was a suspect in the 2014 Wakatobi murder.

Director of Criminal Investigation at the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police, Kombes Wisnu Wibowo, said that the withdrawal of this case to the Regional Police was a recommendation from the internal audit team to accelerate its handling.

He conveyed that in handling this case, investigators did not continue the old case file, but instead started a new investigation (splitting). This was done to complete the testimony of witnesses and evidence. Two people who had previously been convicted in this case are now being re-examined as witnesses.

"The position in this case is the search for two witnesses who have been convicted and served their sentences, and have now been released from Wakatobi," he said when met in Kendari, Thursday, was confiscated by Antara.

He said that after conducting an investigation and looking for the two witnesses, they were found in the Ambon and Papua areas. From the statements of the two of them, investigators managed to get two pieces of evidence that were sufficient to determine Litao as a suspect.

"That's why it was withdrawn to the Regional Police so that we can find it faster, and we get one person in Ambon, one person in Papua," he said.

Wisnu Wibowo revealed that for now his party has examined five witnesses, including two witnesses who were previously defendants in the 2014 case.

He emphasized that the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police was concerned in handling cases involving members of the Wakatobi Regency DPRD Litao in his old case as suspects in the murder of a minor in 2014.

"We can run any process, until now it is still ongoing," added Wisnu Wibowo.

Regarding the issue of the loss of old case files, Kombes Wisnu emphasized that the information was not true. Wisnu Wibowo again explained that his team made new files because there were differences in the role of witnesses in the old case.

"The point is one, we cannot continue the old case file because it is different there. We made new files where the two people who used to be old files as suspects now changed their status as witnesses. So the file must be new and not use old files," he explained.

Previously, the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation of the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police named a member of the Wakatobi Regency DPRD named Litao alias La Lita as a suspect in a murder case that occurred in 2014.

The Head of Public Relations of the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police, Police Commissioner Iis Kristian, confirmed the determination of a member of the Wakatobi DPRD as a suspect and investigators immediately summoned Litao to be questioned as a suspect.

"Yes, that's right, the person concerned has been named a suspect. We will make a summons and further processing will be in accordance with applicable legal provisions," he said.

The determination of the suspect was also stated in a letter of determination of the suspect issued by the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police numbered Tap/126/VIII/RES.1.7/2025.

The attorney for the family of the murder victim from the Wa Ode Nur Zainab & Partners Legal Office, La Ode Muhammad Sofyan Nurhasan, welcomed the police's move to determine the Wakatobi DPRD member as a suspect in the 2014 murder case.

According to him, the determination of the suspect is a new hope for the families of the victims who have sought justice to punish their children 11 years ago.

"We welcome the determination of the suspect by the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police, even though he has been designated as a DPO since 2014. Regarding accusations of politicization, it is refuted by itself because of the fact that the perpetrator has been named a suspect since 2014," explained Muhammad Sofyan.

After the 2014 murder, Litao fled to avoid the legal process. The protracted investigation made Litao on the Wakatobi Police wanted list (DPO).

However, after that, Litao was able to qualify as a legislative candidate in the 2024 General Election and was elected until he was appointed as a member of the Wakatobi Regency DPRD on October 1, 2024.