Injured Casmadi speaks out on taxi robbery<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The dispute between the police and a 14-year-old
\nboy who was exonerated by the court of attempted robbery of a
\ntaxi driver took a new twist when the taxi driver appeared and
\ntold reporters yesterday the boy stabbed him in the neck after
\ndemanding money.<\/p>\n
\"It's unfair that public money goes to a criminal while I have
\nto wait for my colleagues to collect enough money for my medical
\ntreatment,\" driver Casmadi, 25, told reporters who had flocked to
\nCilincing police subprecinct.<\/p>\n
According to the prosecution, 14-year-old Mohamad Arif Budi
\nand a friend, identified as Darto, 20, tried to rob Casmadi on
\nJl. Raya Marunda, Cilincing, North Jakarta on July 30 of last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Darto and Budi asked the taxi driver to take them to Bojong,
\nBekasi. They ordered the driver, Casmadi, to stop on Jl. Marunda.
\nDarto pulled a knife at Casmadi and asked for money as Budi got
\nout of the cab. The driver refused and fought Darto, instead.
\nBudi returned to the taxi to help Darto by stabbing Casmadi in
\nthe neck with a screwdriver, the prosecutor has told the court.<\/p>\n
Injured in the arm and neck, Casmadi ran away and shouted
\n\"thief, thief\". Darto and Budi were caught by local residents,
\nthe prosecutor said.<\/p>\n
Darto died in police custody before Budi went on trial.<\/p>\n
Budi was tried some weeks later, but the court believed his
\nclaim that he hadn't been aware that Darto was trying to rob
\nCasmadi. Budi told the court he had just tried to help Darto
\nfight the driver. He was cleared of all charges.<\/p>\n
Budi's lawyer sued the police and demanded Rp 1 billion in
\ncompensation soon after Budi was declared not guilty by the
\ncourt.<\/p>\n
Budi's exoneration raised observers' eyebrows, as Casmadi, the
\ndriver, was never asked to testify in the trial.<\/p>\n
The appearance of Casmadi at Cilincing police subprecinct
\nyesterday might address public skepticism about Budi's innocence.<\/p>\n
\"No one has asked me to testify at Budi's trial,\" Casmadi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said he had moved from his old house in Cilincing to
\nRawabebek, Kalibaru, also in North Jakarta. \"But not a single
\ncourt summons has been sent to either my old or my new address.\"<\/p>\n
\"A friend told me that the boy had been cleared, and that the
\nlawyer is demanding the police pay him Rp 1 billion in
\ncompensation,\" Casmadi said.<\/p>\n
He said he came to the police subprecinct of his own volition.
\n\"I came here on Saturday, but the office was closed. I decided to
\ncome back today,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said that Budi hailed his taxi. Casmadi said Budi and
\nanother, bigger fellow, later identified as Darto, asked him to
\ntake them to Cilincing and Bekasi, and back to Cilincing.<\/p>\n
\"As soon as I stopped the taxi the bigger boy grabbed my hair
\nfrom behind and thrust a knife at me, asking for money. I told
\nhim I had not got much money yet,\" Casmadi said.<\/p>\n
\"Suddenly the boy took something out of his bag and stabbed me
\nin the neck. I found out later he had used a screwdriver,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Casmadi said both the boys ran off as he shouted for help. \"I
\ncan't believe the court has exonerated this boy,\" he said.
\n(bsr\/sur)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/injured-casmadi-speaks-out-on-taxi-robbery-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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