Expert testimony delayed in bus trial<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Judge Soemarjono of North Jakarta District Court
\nrefused yesterday to hear the testimony of an expert witness in
\nthe trial of the driver whose bus plunged into a river in March
\nlast year, upholding an objection taken by the defense.<\/p>\n
The defendant's lawyer, Sangap Sidauruk, told the judge that
\nArticle 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code provided that the
\ntestimony of an expert witness could only be heard after the
\ncourt had heard the testimony of all ordinary witnesses,
\nincluding that of victims.<\/p>\n
\"Based on that article, I request that the honorable judge not
\nhear the testimony of Slamet Purnomo, a doctor of Koja Hospital,
\nNorth Jakarta, in this session,\" Sangap said.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor H.P.W. Soekewi told the judge that the North
\nJakarta prosecutor's office had tried to summons other witnesses,
\nbut had encountered difficulties because their addresses had
\nchanged.<\/p>\n
Judge Soemarjono upheld the objection and postponed the
\ntestimony of the expert witness.<\/p>\n
It is alleged that on March 6, last year, Ramses drove a Metro
\nMini (smaller-sized) bus along Jl. Yos Sudarso in North Jakarta
\nat a speed of between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour. The bus in
\nquestion was a number P07, which plies the Semper-Senen route.<\/p>\n
According to the prosecution case, he continued speeding
\ndespite pleas from a number of passengers, who sought to remind
\nhim 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 scene of the accident, 13 died later
\nin hospital and another 13 were injured.<\/p>\n
Ramses, 33, fled the scene of the accident and went into
\nhiding in North Sumatra, his home province. Police arrested him
\nsix months later.<\/p>\n
Another doctor<\/p>\n
Before ruling that the expert witness' evidence be excluded
\nfor the time being, the judge had already examined another
\nmedical doctor, Hari Sukowihandono of Cipto Mangunkusumo General
\nHospital (RSCM), Central Jakarta, as an ordinary witness.<\/p>\n
The prosecution says Hari treated Ramses in RSCM's emergency
\ndepartment shortly after the driver fled the accident scene.<\/p>\n
Hari told the court he had treated Ramses on March 6, and that
\nthe patient had been suffering from wounds to both his arms and
\nto his forehead.<\/p>\n
\"His wounds were classified as minor injuries but I decided to
\nsend him to a neurologist; since Ramses was in a state of
\nunconsciousness during treatment,\" the doctor said.<\/p>\n
He said that some of the wounds had already been bandaged.
\n\"Maybe he had already received treatment somewhere else,\" Hari
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Hari acknowledged that he had learned from that evening's
\ntelevision's news that there had been a terrible bus accident at
\nthe Sunter river, but that he had not realized that the man whom
\nhe had treated earlier at the hospital had been the driver.<\/p>\n
\"I realized that the patient was the driver after the hospital
\ndirector asked me to make a medical statement for the police,\" he
\nsaid, adding that the driver was registered as Ramses Silitonga.<\/p>\n
After hearing Hari's testimony, the judge heard evidence from
\nEduakim Panjaitan, the owner of the bus and Ramses's employer.<\/p>\n
Eduakim said that the bus, a 1984 model, was in good condition
\nwhen Ramses left the depot on the day of the crash.<\/p>\n
\"I saw Ramses himself check the machine oil, the radiator
\nwater, the battery and the brakes. Everything was in order, Your
\nHonor,\" said Eduakim.<\/p>\n
Brake failure<\/p>\n
In contrast to this, Ramses had told the court in an earlier
\nsitting that the vehicle's brakes had not been very good, citing
\nthe fact that he had had to apply them several times to bring the
\nbus to a halt.<\/p>\n
Eduakim said that he had been in church at the time accident
\noccurred.<\/p>\n
\"I was shocked when my daughter told me that my bus had
\nplunged into the Sunter river and that a lot of people had been
\nkilled,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The owner said he realized that Ramses had run away because
\nhis body was never found.<\/p>\n
He said that Ramses had worked as his driver since January
\nlast year, after he had produced a public transportation license
\nand work experience certificates.<\/p>\n
The last witness called, a woman named Darsih Daiman, who is
\none of the 13 crash survivors, said that the driver had been
\nreprimanded by some of the passengers, who had asked him to slow
\ndown, but that Ramses had ignored them and continued speeding.<\/p>\n
\"I was very frightened because the bus was speeding so fast. I
\nheard a lot of passengers screaming and all I can remember is the
\nbus bouncing, then hitting the sidewalk and plunging into the
\nriver,\" Darsih said.<\/p>\n
Darsih said that she had been thrown out of the bus into the
\nmiddle of the polluted river.<\/p>\n
\"I cannot swim, but I managed to get to the river bank,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Judge Soemarjono adjourned the trial until Feb. 9. (mas)<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/expert-testimony-delayed-in-bus-trial-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }