Wife of High-Ranking Indonesia Police Official Sentenced to 20 Years in Jail

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Putri Candrawathi, wife of a two-star general and former head of internal affairs for the Indonesian National Police Ferdy Sambo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the premeditated murder of her husband’s bodyguard Brigadier Nofriansyah Yosua Hutabarat (Brigadier J) in July last year.

The panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court handed down the verdict after Putri was convincingly and legally guilty of committing the crime of premeditated murder as charged by prosecutors. The sentencing was higher than the eight-year jail term prosecutors were demanding.

“[The court] declares the defendant Putri Candrawathi to be convincingly and legally guilty of committing the crime of premeditated murder,” said Presiding Judge Wahyu Iman Santoso on Monday, Feb. 13, adding that the defendant has been sentenced to 20 years in jail.

Also read: Ex-Police General Ferdy Sambo Sentenced to Death in Indonesia for Murder Case

Previously, on Jan. 18, the prosecutors demanded an eight-year jail term for Putri as she was one of the five defendants in the premeditated murder case of Brigadier J at Ferdy’s home.

Other defendants, in this case, comprised Ferdy, who was sentenced to death; Ferdy’s two aides Second Patrolman Richard Eliezer (Bharada E), Brigadier Ricky Rizal (Bripka RR), and a domestic helper Kuat Ma’ruf.

Enough evidence was found to prove that Putri had assisted the premeditated murder under Article 340 in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.

The murder happened after Putri claimed that she was harassed by Brigadier J at Ferdy’s other house in Magelang, Central Java on July 7, 2022. Putri’s unproven claims made her husband Ferdy angry and ended with the murder of Brigadier J.

According to the court, Ferdy was accused of ordering Bharada E to shoot Brigadier J. Ferdy was then also firing a bullet into Brigadier J who was already wounded.

At the time of publication on Tuesday, Kuat Ma’ruf was sentenced to 15 years, higher than the eight-year jail term prosecutors were seeking. The verdict was handed down as he was convincingly and legally guilty of committing the crime of premeditated murder.

Meanwhile, Bripka RR was sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in the premeditated murder of Brigadier J. Previously, he was also demanded an eight-year jail term by the prosecutors.

“[The court] is sentencing the defendant [Ricky Rizal Wibowo] to 13 years in jail,” the judge said on Tuesday, Feb. 14.

(Writer: Singgih Wiryono | Editor: Bagus Santosa, Diamanty Meiliana)

Sources: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/02/13/19282311/putri-candrawathi-divonis-20-tahun-penjara.

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/02/14/11521411/kuat-maruf-divonis-15-tahun-penjara-lebih-berat-daripada-tuntutan-jaksa.

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2023/02/14/15393011/ricky-rizal-divonis-13-tahun-penjara-di-kasus-pembunuhan-brigadir-j#utm_source=www.kompas.com&utm_medium=kgbreakingnews.