Court asked to ignore bus driver's lawyers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The state prosecutor in the trial of Ramses
\nSilitonga, the driver of a Metromini bus that plunged into the
\nSunter river in North Jakarta last year, killing 34 passengers,
\nhas asked the judge yesterday to ignore the statement of the
\ndefendant's lawyer.<\/p>\n
"The lawyer's statement saying that my indictment was
\nexaggerated cannot be used as a reason to declare that my
\nindictment is wrong in law," prosecutor H.P.W Soekewi said.<\/p>\n
She said an indictment could only be dismissed if it
\nmisidentified the defendant or if it was proffered in a court
\nlacking jurisdiction to hear the trial.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor said that the statement made by the defense
\nlawyer, Victor Siahaan, was without foundation in law.<\/p>\n
On Monday, lawyer Victor Siahaan told presiding judge
\nSoemarjono that Soekewi's indictment, in which Ramses was charged
\nwith murder, was tendentious and exaggerated.<\/p>\n
He said it was the first time in the history of Indonesian law
\nthat someone involved in a traffic accident had been charged with
\nmurder. "It is unprecedented, and therefore we strongly reject
\nthe charges," he said, as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
This was disputed by prosecutor Soekewi, who said that murder
\ncharges had been laid in relation to a traffic accident in
\nPamekasan, Madura, several years ago.<\/p>\n
It is alleged that on March 6 last year Ramses drove a
\nMetromini (smaller-sized) bus along Jl. Yos Sudarso at a speed of
\nbetween 80 and 90 kilometers per hour. According to the
\nprosecution case, he continued speeding despite pleas from
\nconductor Pontas Pakpahan and a number of passengers, who had
\nreminded him that there were children aboard.<\/p>\n
The prosecution claims that Ramses then lost control of the
\nbus, which shortly afterwards plunged into the Sunter River.<\/p>\n
Twenty people died at the accident scene, while 13 others died
\nlater in hospital.<\/p>\n
Ramses, 33, evaded police and went into hiding in North
\nSumatra, his home province. Police finally managed to arrest the
\nculprit in August. Police said Ramses had been living in the
\nvillage of Tanjung Mulia in the Kampung Rakyat district, Labuhan
\nBatu regency. He had been working for PT Pemudjur, a timber mill,
\nunder the name of Ucok Sitompul.<\/p>\n
Judge Soemarjono adjourned the trial until Jan. 23. (mas)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/court-asked-to-ignore-bus-drivers-lawyers-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }