If You Have Money, You Can Buy the Law

Anybody remember the shooting of a waiter in Hilton Hotel (now Sultan Hotel) sometimes in 2004 or 2005?  The waiter, who is originally from Flores, made a mistake on calculation, and pops goes is life.  He was shot by Adiguna Sutowo’s gun, the son of Ibnu Sutowo (may he rest in peace), one of the founder of Pertamina.

My father used to work for Pertamina and Ibnu Sutowo used to be his boss.  Every Idul Fitri we stop at his place and greet his family.  This tradition has been carried since I was in elementary school.  And even though Ibnu Sutowo has passed away, my family still go visit his wife on Jalan Tanjung, an extremely luxurious big house, where all her daughters and sons and grandchildren live.  Including Adiguna Sutowo.  And I saw this monster, wearing batik, smiling, shaking hands with his guests.

Adiguna Sutowo became twisted after his son died in a car accident.  He bought the car for the son, the son was frustrated because Adiguna was going to divorce his mom and marry another woman, drove madly and hit an electric pole, died on the spot.  Since then, he became depressed, became a drug user, often found overdosed in his hotel (The Sultan Hotel is part owned by the family).  I don’t know what education he earned but he was into cars, wheter car races or rallies (who sucked, just like Tommy Suharto). 

I wonder what happened to that case.  They never found the gun, I think that was the end of it.  Judge sentenced 7 years.  It was on the front page, then the second, then it was just a column in the 8th page or something.  And it was just gone.  But he was here, instead of in jail.  Shamelessly shaking hands with ass kissers during Iedul Fitri. 

That’s what people with lots of money can do.  Just pay everybody.  The police, judge, the witnesses, even the family of the one that you shot.  Pay, pay, pay.  And the case is gone.  And he is a free man.  He is living without a burden, in his parents home, in the middle of Jakarta.

I wonder how it could be like this.  Lets say he bribed the family (the family even asked the judge to not punish this monster….hah….maybe they think that this is fate?  That their son won’t be back so better receive the money so the other children can continue their education?).  But don’t the people want to sue?  Even if the family stopped sueing, is there no system that accommodate the people that want to sue this case?  Considering this can happen to anybody?  No people power?  Only People-With-Money power?

At the end of the visit, I told my mom that she should thank God that none of her children is a killer.  Nothing worse than being a killer’s mom, I guess.