Colonel Priyanto Rejects Charge Of Premeditated Murder Of Handi-Salsabila

Members of the Legal Team for Letda Chk Aleksander Sitepu (right) read out a memorandum of defense for Colonel Infantry Priyanto (left) during a trial at the High Military Court II Jakarta, Tuesday (10/5/2022). ANTARA/Genta Tenri Mawangi

JAKARTA - Colonel Infantry Priyanto through his legal counsel rejected the indictment and demands of the Military Prosecutor who called him premeditated murder and kidnapping of Handi Saputra and Salsabila.

During the trial at the High Military Court II Jakarta, Tuesday, May 10, a member of the Legal Team for Lt. Chk Aleksander Sitepu said that at the time of the incident, Priyanto thought that Handi-Salsabila had died, so he took the two of them away and threw them into the Serayu River.

"Colonel Infantry Priyanto has not been proven to have committed a crime as charged by the High Military Prosecutor in the first primary indictment of Article 340 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code and the second indictment of the first alternative Article 328 of the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the first Criminal Code," said Aleksander while reading out a memorandum of defense (pledoi) for Colonel Priyanto during the trial, reported by Antara.

Article 340 of the Criminal Code, which is the primary indictment of the Prosecutor, stipulates a criminal sentence for premeditated murder which carries a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.

Meanwhile, Article 328 of the Criminal Code regulates the crime of kidnapping which carries a maximum sentence of 12 years.

Jakarta High Military Prosecutor II Colonel Sus Wirdel Boy in his indictment which was read out during a trial last month said that Priyanto was proven guilty of premeditated murder, so he asked the panel of judges to sentence the defendant to life imprisonment.

According to his attorney, Priyanto was only guilty of violating Article 181 of the Criminal Code as included in the third subsidiary indictment of the Prosecutor. Article 181 of the Criminal Code regulates the punishment of eliminating a corpse with the intention of hiding someone's death. The crime carries a maximum prison sentence of 9 months.

Therefore, the attorney asked the panel of judges, led by Brigadier General Faridah Faisal, to release Colonel Priyanto from the primary charges and the first two alternative charges, and to release him from all lawsuits based on the two charges.

"(We ask the panel of judges) to impose a light sentence or if the panel of judges has a different opinion, then we ask for a fair decision," said Lt. Aleksander.

In the same memorandum of defense, the attorney also asked the panel of judges to consider Priyanto's track record during his service in the Army.

"The defendant once risked his body and soul for the Republic of Indonesia to carry out operational duties in Timor-Timor (now Timor Leste, ed.)," said Aleksander.

Priyanto, said his attorney, received the Satya Lencana Loyalty of 8 Years, 16 Years, and 24 Years, as well as the Satya Lencana Seroja.

Then, the attorney also said that the defendant underwent the trial with a good attitude, frank, and regretful and promised not to repeat his actions.