Ari Sigit trial begins<\/p>\n
Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA: The trial of former president Soeharto's grandson Ari
\nHaryo Wibowo, alias Ari Sigit, commenced on Tuesday at the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
Ari Sigit, 31, has been charged under Article 1, Paragraph 1
\nof Emergency Law No.12\/1951 on the illegal possession of firearms
\nand ammunition, according to prosecutor Surung Aritonang who read
\nout the charges.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, the eldest son of Sigit Harjoyudanto, the
\neldest son of Soeharto, could be sentenced to death or face life
\nimprisonment.<\/p>\n
Ari who was wearing a crisp blue shirt and a patterned tie,
\nsat calmly before the court while the prosecutor read out the
\nthree-page indictment.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor said that 70 bullets had been found during a
\nsearch of Ari's house on Jl. Yusuf Adiwinata 6, Menteng, Central
\nJakarta, on Aug. 13, 2001.<\/p>\n
The search was for his uncle Hutomo Mandala Putra, alias Tommy
\nSoeharto, who has been named a suspect in the murder of Supreme
\nCourt justice Saifuddin Kartasasmita.<\/p>\n
The bullets were found in a red and blue bag bought by the
\ndefendant when he was in the United States with his wife Gusti
\nMaya Firanti Noor, according to the prosecutor.<\/p>\n
Ari was detained at the city police headquarters on Aug. 14
\nand moved to Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta on Sept. 21.<\/p>\n
After the prosecutor finished reading out the indictment, Ari
\nsaid he did not understand it.<\/p>\n
\"I don't understand whether I'm accused of storing, taking or
\npossessing the bullets,\" he told the court, presided over by
\nJudge Heri Suwantoro.<\/p>\n
Right after the prosecutor read out the indictment, Juan Felix
\nTampubolon, the leader of the defendant's team of lawyers,
\nimmediately objected.<\/p>\n
Ari's lawyer contested the charges, saying they were obscure,
\nand questioned the legality of the search conducted at Ari's
\nhome, saying it was against procedure.<\/p>\n
\"The crime was not stated clearly in the indictment and my
\nclient's crime was not described in a comprehensive way, thus
\ncausing confusion,\" Felix told the court.<\/p>\n
None of the Soehartos were present at the court, while the
\ncourtroom was packed with dozens of journalists.<\/p>\n
When the session ended, Ari made no comment when reporters
\nsurrounded him, while a number of bodyguards in civilian clothes
\nformed a cordon around him and whisked him out of the courtroom.<\/p>\n
Felix reiterated the obscurity of the indictment while stating
\nthat the bullets found at his client's resident did not belong to
\nAri.<\/p>\n
\"We have no idea where the bullets came from ... suddenly they
\nwere found there,\" Felix told reporters.<\/p>\n
The trial will resume next week.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ari-sigit-trial-begins-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }