Defendant retracts statement made before police<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): One of seven defendants being tried for
\nallegedly arranging a gambling den with noted youth organization
\nfigure, Yorrys Raweyai, retracted his preliminary statement made
\nbefore police in West Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
In the trial led by judge Ismail Sebayang on Thursday, Abidin,
\nwho testified as a witness for the trial of Yorrys, said he and
\nthe other defendants agreed to confess that gambling was played
\nat the house when the police raided his storehouse on Jl. Daan
\nMogot 125, West Jakarta, on July 29 at 9 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"We all agreed to confess because we wanted to speed up the
\nprocess of interrogation,\" he said.<\/p>\n
During the police interrogation, Abidin said that he played
\nMah Jong, a popular card game among Chinese, with Bok Tjin Lin
\nand Ng A Tjan while Yorrys, Sundoro Tan, Hadi Mustopa and
\nBudianto played rummy.<\/p>\n
However, Abidin denied the testimony of two police officers,
\nwho witnessed at earlier trial session, that the third floor of
\nthe storehouse was used as a gambling den.<\/p>\n
Sgt. Markus, one of the two witnessing police officers, told
\nthe judge that on July 29, 8 p.m. he and five other officers were
\nordered by his superior to make a surveillance of the storehouse
\nbefore the police took any further action.<\/p>\n
Markus said he entered the storehouse by climbing the backyard
\nwall using a portable aluminum ladder which could be lengthened
\nto 15 meters.<\/p>\n
Using the ladder, he said, the team watched the activities on
\nthe third floor.<\/p>\n
\"I could see the room was filled with people, some of them
\nsitting around the table playing cards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
However, Abidin said that there were no cards, money or
\ngambling activities that night.<\/p>\n
The gambling equipment confiscated by the police officers
\nbelonged to him. He had the equipment for about five years and
\nused it sometimes.<\/p>\n
Visitors<\/p>\n
Court visitors were often reprimanded by the presiding judge
\nto behave properly as they frequently yelled over Abidin's
\ntwisted and inconsistent statements.<\/p>\n
Abidin said the rooms located on the third floor of his
\nstorehouse could only be used by him or his wife but he quickly
\nchanged his statement as the judge asked him about the presence
\nof the other defendants in that room on July 29.<\/p>\n
\"Nobody enters that room unless they are invited,\" Abidin said
\nchanging his earlier statement.<\/p>\n
The judge has adjourned the trial until Nov. 17. He ordered
\nYorrys and the other defendants to appear at the courthouse to
\nhear the testimony of the other witnesses.<\/p>\n
Yorrys, the day-to-day chairman of Pemuda Pancasila youth
\norganization, along with 14 other alleged gamblers was
\napprehended on July 29 for allegedly organizing games of chance
\nat the storehouse.<\/p>\n
The police released seven of the alleged, of whom four were
\nwomen, because they were not gambling when the police raided the
\nhouse. But the other seven, including Yorrys, are being tried in
\ntwo separate trials by the same judge and prosecutors. (mas)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/defendant-retracts-statement-made-before-police-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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