University student Mario Dandy Satriyo (above) has been arrested over his attack on 17-year-old Cristalino David Ozora. - PHOTO: ASKRLFESS/ TWITTER via The Straits Times/ANN
JAKARTA, Feb 26 (The Straits Times/ANN): A viral video of a 20-year-old beating a teenage boy into a coma on Monday stirred Indonesia’s netizen sleuths to uncover the youth’s social media posts flaunting his lavish lifestyle.
That has led to his mid-level taxman father being probed for the family’s unexplained wealth.
University student Mario Dandy Satriyo has been arrested over his attack on 17-year-old Cristalino David Ozora, the former boyfriend of his girlfriend, Agnes Gracia Haryanto, 15.
Mario allegedly became enraged after Agnes told him that David previously ill-treated her.
Agnes, a high school student, asked David to meet her so that she could return his student’s card. She, Mario and a friend, Shane Lukas, 19, then drove to the gated Grand Permata residential complex in South Jakarta.
Mario and David got into a heated argument behind the former’s Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, and the older youth threw David to the ground, according to witness testimonies.
In a 57-second video allegedly taken by Shane, Mario is shown kicking the boy in the face.
As David lies motionless, face down on the road, Mario stomps on the back of his head and neck a few times, before kicking and punching him in the head.
Mario is also heard shouting: ”I am not afraid if anyone’s boy dies. Go ahead and report it to the police!”
It is not known who posted the video, which has gone viral, online.
The youth may be charged with inflicting serious injury, which carries a five-year jail term, and may also be charged under a separate child protection law.
Shane has been detained for interrogation and may also be charged.
David sustained a traumatic brain injury and remains unconscious in hospital.
His father, Mr Jonathan Latumahina, wrote in a Twitter post on Wednesday: “The perpetrator’s family came to apologise and I accepted. I only did what David would do. He is a very forgiving person. But legal prosecution has started. Each of us has accountability.”
On Saturday morning, he tweeted: “David, it has been five days and you haven’t cleaned the cat’s poop. Please wake up.”
Local media reported that Agnes took a selfie after the incident with her ex-boyfriend lying on the ground.
There have been calls for the police to arrest her for instigating the assault.
Her lawyer, Mr Mangatta Toding Allo, however, dismissed the news reports, saying Agnes was photographed by someone else as she tended to David.
He also claimed that before the attack, the girl had urged Mario to handle the problem in a peaceful manner after her boyfriend argued with David.
Netizens quickly discovered from Mario’s social media – which has since been hidden – that he rode a 1.7 billion rupiah (S$150,000) SUV and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
It led them to wonder how his family could afford the expensive vehicles on his father’s public servant salary.
Social media users speculated that a lot of tax money paid to the government is being used to fund taxmen’s lavish lifestyles.
On Friday, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said Mario’s father, Mr Rafael Alun Trisambodo, has been suspended as investigations into his unexplained wealth is ongoing.
Dr Sri Mulyani assured the public that the government regularly takes firm action against any recalcitrant tax officers.
He also stressed that Mr Rafael’s case should not discourage citizens from paying taxes. - The Straits Times/ANN
