Palembang, KOTABARI.COM – Antoni, the owner of a distro involved in the murder of a cooperative employee named Anton Eka Saputra (25), has been arrested by the police. The suspect was apprehended by a joint team in West Sumatra on Friday afternoon (June 28, 2024).
“A joint team from Jatanras Polda Sumsel, Satreskrim Polrestabes Palembang, and Polsek Sukarami successfully apprehended the mastermind behind the cooperative employee’s murder on June 28, 2024, around 5:00 PM,” said AKBP Haris Dinzah, Head of Criminal Investigation at Polrestabes Palembang, on Saturday (June 29, 2024).
Haris explained that Antoni was captured after collaborating with Polda Sumatera Barat, especially Polres Solok Kota and Polres Sijunjung.
“We cooperated with Polda Sumbar, specifically Polres Sijunjung, to arrest the suspect,” he said.
The arrest was made following the apprehension of one of the executioners, identified as PS, who played a role in striking the victim with a blunt object, leading to the victim’s death. PS was arrested in Batam, Riau Islands (Kepri) on Tuesday (June 25, 2024).
“Earlier, we managed to arrest one of the suspects, PS, in Batam, Kepri. From this arrest, we obtained information about the victim’s body location at the distro in Kelurahan Talang Kelapa, Sukarami District,” Haris added.
Distro Owner as the Mastermind
Based on witness statements, Haris explained that Antoni had an argument with the victim on the day he went missing. The victim was known to be collecting debts from customers in Kelurahan Talang Kelapa, and Antoni was the only customer in the area.
“From witness statements and the previously captured suspect, it was concluded that Antoni was the mastermind behind the murder,” Haris said.
Haris stated that the police are still investigating the case further. Additionally, one last suspect is still being pursued.
“We will delve into the case and chase the last suspect; after that, we will inform the media,” he said.
Victim’s Family Requests Investigation of Suspect’s Wife and Brother-in-Law
Meanwhile, the victim’s legal counsel, Jasmadi Pasmeindra, requested the police to investigate the suspect’s wife and brother-in-law concerning the murder of his client. He suspects that they were aware of the incident but chose to cover it up and did not report it.
“The wife knew about the incident but kept quiet. She should be investigated either as a witness or a suspect, and the brother-in-law should also be investigated because their boarding house was empty after the incident,” he said.
Jasmadi also urged the authorities to charge the suspects under multiple articles, specifically 340 in conjunction with 365 of the Criminal Code.
“We demand the suspects be charged under multiple articles, 340 in conjunction with 365, because the murder was premeditated. Additionally, the suspects committed robbery by taking the victim’s belongings, such as money, a phone, and a motorcycle,” he explained.
Case Background
Previously, cooperative employee Anton Eka Saputra (35), who was reported missing a few weeks ago, was found dead and buried in the backyard of Antoni’s distro in the Maskarebet area, Kelurahan Talang Kelapa, Sukarami District, Palembang, on Wednesday (June 26, 2024). The victim was reported missing by his family to the police on Saturday (June 8, 2024) after failing to return home.
After an investigation, the police revealed that the victim was murdered by the distro owner. The suspect was arrested in West Sumatra last Friday and is currently under police examination.