Judge upset by student racket<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A presiding judge was angered on Monday by a
\nstudent commotion at the trial of an Indonesian Christian
\nUniversity (UKI) student charged with kidnapping a police
\nofficer.<\/p>\n
Judge Samsoedin A.B. reproved defendant Edward Taurus Benyamin
\nKaro-karo, a UKI law school student, for encouraging his
\nsupporters to yell in the South Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
"You are a defendant here. You are not allowed to make a
\nnoise. Your problem cannot be solved by yelling," Samsoedin said,
\nbefore knocking his gavel to open the trial.<\/p>\n
He asked Edward's nine lawyers from the Indonesian Student
\nMovement Lawyer Team to remind their client to respect the court.<\/p>\n
"Let's just let the trial run smoothly," he said.<\/p>\n
Samsoedin rebuked the prosecutors as well for arriving an hour
\nlate at the trial, which was scheduled to start at 10 a.m.<\/p>\n
"Please come on time next week," he said.<\/p>\n
Edward entered the courtroom at about 11 a.m. and yelled in
\nfront of dozens of supporters grouped in the City Forum: "Viva
\nstudents ... Long live students"! His yell was echoed by his
\nsupporters before he sat in his chair.<\/p>\n
Carrying banners and posters, the supporters held a free
\nspeech forum and sang before entering the courtroom.<\/p>\n
Monday's session heard the prosecutors' statement and Edward's
\nlawyers' response to the indictment.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor M. Purba asked the court to continue the trial
\ndespite demands for the defendant's release by the student's
\nlawyers.<\/p>\n
Purba said the case against Edward was clear and accurate.<\/p>\n
"The lawyers' statement only rejected the content of the
\nindictment, which should be examined in the next session to prove
\nwhether it's true or not."<\/p>\n
The statement also described student objectives in conducting
\ndemonstrations. However, the information was not relevant to the
\ncharge, he said.<\/p>\n
The team of prosecutors supported student ambitions to improve
\nIndonesia's situation with their demonstrations.<\/p>\n
"We admire the students. We hope they will succeed in the
\nfuture with their struggle helping Indonesian people. But we
\nstill demand the court continue the trial," Purba said.<\/p>\n
Last week, Edward's lawyers asked the court to drop the
\nindictment, saying the charge was inaccurate and unclear.<\/p>\n
"The indictment did not mention clearly where the crime took
\nplace," lawyer Pablo Christalo said.<\/p>\n
Pablo said Edward did not kidnap a police officer as charged,
\nadding that the defendant in fact saved the officer from being
\nmobbed.<\/p>\n
The indictment states that Edward, along with three fellow
\nstudents, abducted Sgt. Maj. Suratman, who was photographing a
\nstudent demonstration, on Jl. Gatot Subroto on Nov. 27 last year.<\/p>\n
Two of the three students were identified as Rudy Pahala
\nSimatupang and Alex Situmeang. Rudy has been cleared of
\ninvolvement, while Alex and the unidentified student remain at
\nlarge.<\/p>\n
The defendant and his friends took the victim to the UKI
\ncampus in Cawang, East Jakarta at about 8 p.m., according to the
\nindictment.<\/p>\n
After tying the victim's hands together and blindfolding him,
\nthe defendant then allegedly took Suratman to the Nusantara
\nEconomic Institute on Jl. Panjaitan in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The South Jakarta Police intelligence officer was later dumped
\non a street in the Cawang area.<\/p>\n
The defendant was charged under Article 328 and Article 333
\n(1) of the Criminal Code, which carry a maximum punishment of 12
\nyears in jail and eight years in jail respectively.<\/p>\n
Samsoedin adjourned the trial until next week to decide
\nwhether the trial will be discontinued. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/judge-upset-by-student-racket-1447893297",
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