Supreme Court Justice Syafiuddin Murdered with a Browning-Type Firearm
16 December 2003 09:03 WIB
As reported the junior chairman on Criminal Law Syafiuddin Kartasasmita (60) was shot dead by unidentified men as he was driving his car through the Kemayoran area of Central Jakarta at 08.30 am Western Indonesian Time (WIB) yesterday (26/07). He was heading to his office at the Court building in Central Jakarta. Syafiuddin was shot four times - twice in his right arm, once above his right ear and once in his right chest.
Regarding the Forensic and Laboratory Center’s report to Jakarta police, the Center indicated a 9 mm-diameter bullet on the victim’s car. Yesterday, Kemayoran police handed over the bullet and five bullet shells with a heat stamp labeled PIN IX, indicating that they were made by the PT Pindad company. The Center also located three bullet shells during the autopsy.
The bullets found indicate that the firearm used by the murderers was a Browning. This type of gun is produced in Belgium and assembled in Fabrique Nationale, the manufacturer of FN revolvers. This type of revolver is used by military institutions all over the world. In Indonesia, ninety percent of the Indonesian Military (TNI) officers use this firearm as they consider the gun easy to use and maintain.
Supreme Court justice Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, who was Syaifuddin’s colleague, said that this shooting represents the very first of its kind in the history of the Court. He says he does not yet know the motive for the shooting. Benjamin merely said that Syafiuddin had previously handled big cases such as that involving the fugitive Tommy Suharto and corrupt businessmen Bob Hasan and Joko S. Tjandra. Benjamin added that Syafiuddin also chaired the human rights ad hoc trial institution on all human rights violations.
