Budiman walks out of courtroom<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The subversion trial of youth activist Budiman
\nSudjatmiko continued at the Central Jakarta District Court
\nyesterday without the defendant or his lawyers.<\/p>\n
Budiman, the leader of the Democratic People's Party (PRD),
\nwalked out of the courtroom followed by his team of lawyers about
\nan hour after yesterday's hearing opened.<\/p>\n
The walkout came after the panel of judges refused Budiman's
\nrequest to hear the testimony of his witness, a labor expert.<\/p>\n
When judge Sjoffinan Sumantri asked Budiman whether he was
\nwilling to be heard, Budiman said, \"I am forced to reject the
\nhearing over me.\"<\/p>\n
\"I'll let you go, I didn't drive you out,\" Sjoffinan replied.<\/p>\n
As Budiman and his lawyers walked out onlookers cheered. Judge
\nSjoffinan was visibly annoyed and told the onlookers to leave the
\ncourtroom.<\/p>\n
Budiman and 15 other members of the PRD have been charged
\nunder the subversion law for allegedly undermining the state and
\ninsulting the government through party activities.<\/p>\n
They are being tried separately at the Central and South
\nJakarta District courts and in the Surabaya District Court in
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
In refusing Budiman's lawyers' request, Sjoffinan said he had
\nalready given the lawyers two chances to present an expert
\nwitness.<\/p>\n
The lawyers conceded they had made mistakes, but they asked
\nthe judge to give them another chance because the witness was now
\nin court. They said that after the witness gave his testimony,
\nBudiman would be willing to be heard.<\/p>\n
When the judge refused the request, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan,
\none of Budiman's lawyers said, \"The judges are not acting under
\nthe law, but under the power\".<\/p>\n
The judge replied, \"It's up to you to interpret. If you are
\nnot satisfied, you can appeal to a higher court.\"<\/p>\n
Budiman then told the court that Sjoffinan was not putting all
\nhis effort into the case.<\/p>\n
\"This is about one's life,\" Budiman said, before he refused to
\nbe heard.<\/p>\n
If found guilty, Budiman faces a maximum penalty of death.<\/p>\n
Yesterday at the Jakarta Administrative Court, a judge
\ndismissed the lawsuit of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted
\nleader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Megawati is
\nopposed to President Soeharto, Minister\/State Secretary
\nMoerdiono, Attorney General Singgih, and the South Jakarta Police
\nChief Lt. Col. Sisno Adiwinoto.<\/p>\n
Megawati demanded the court annul orders issued by Moerdiono
\nand Singgih to the police to investigate her and her husband
\nTaufiq Kiemas as witnesses in the police investigation of
\nHaryanto Taslam, a PDI leader, suspected of organizing a
\npolitical meeting at Megawati's residence in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Her lawyers said that as members of the House of
\nRepresentatives, Megawati and Taufiq cannot be investigated by
\npolice without written presidential approval.<\/p>\n
Judge Lintong Oloan Siahaan said that presidential spoken
\napproval was legal because up till now there has been no law
\nwhich regulated that the approval should be in written form. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/budiman-walks-out-of-courtroom-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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