The wife of a gold trader in Jayapura, Papua and a foreign man believed to be her secret lover, were apprehended over the weekend as police suspect they plotted the businessman’s murder, in a case that has gained immense coverage in Indonesia.
In a press conference held today, Jayapura precinct chief Gustav R Urbinas confirmed that the foreign national, identified as MM, is now a suspect in the case. Gustav said that the victim’s wife, identified as VLH, told the police that MM murdered her husband, a 44-year-old gold trader identified as Nasruddin AKA Acik.
MM killed Nasruddin on the evening of June 28 in the Holtekam area of Jayapura. Police said that MM and VLH plotted a fake robbery scenario to explain the events that led to Nasruddin’s death, with VLH telling the police that four men had robbed her and Nasruddin while they were driving on the road, before they killed her husband and fleeing the scene.
Nasruddin reportedly died after 20 stabs to his head and body.
“MM has had a secret affair with the victim’s wife since the beginning of 2021, in regards to how deep their relationship is, we did not look into it,” Gustav said.
A clip showing VLH in tears over her husband’s death had even gone viral previously, but police became suspicious of her statement after CCTV footage showed MM tailing Nasruddin’s car.
MM was arrested on Saturday as he was about to leave Papua, whereas VLH was apprehended in South Sulawesi not long after Nasruddin’s funeral in his hometown in Enrekang regency. She has yet to be named a suspect at the time of publication.
“In this case we are focusing on the murder. So far we have detained one person, the suspect MM. But for other suspects that are involved in the incident, we are still investigating,” Gustav said.
MM has been charged with premeditated murder under Indonesia’s Criminal Code (KUHP), which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or death.
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