Military court opens Trisakti trial<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The first court-martial session of the Trisakti
\nshooting incident was held at the Military Court in East Jakarta
\nyesterday, as hundreds of students, police officers and the media
\nteamed the courtroom to watch the proceedings.<\/p>\n
The trial brought two of the 18 suspects -- all of whom are
\nmembers of the Jakarta Police force -- to the court wearing their
\nrespective uniforms and flanked by a strong team of leading
\nlawyers.<\/p>\n
The hearing for the two officers -- company commander First
\nLt. Agus Tri Heryanto, 29, and platoon leader Second Lt. Pariyo,
\n38, both from the City Police mobile brigade unit -- lasted for
\nalmost three hours after it opened at 8:40 a.m.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors Col. Sardji Purnomo and Capt. Bambang Ari Wibowo,
\nwho read the indictments by turns, charged the two for
\nundisciplined acts under Article 103 of the Military Penal Court
\nwhich carries a maximum sentence of two years and four months in
\nprison.<\/p>\n
Open fire<\/p>\n
According to the military prosecutors, the two officers
\nallowed their subordinates to open fire without authorization
\nduring the May 12 Trisakti student protest that ended with the
\ndeaths of four students.<\/p>\n
"In fact, they did not do anything to stop either the
\nshootings or the beatings of the students in the Trisakti
\nincident," Sardji said while reading the indictments.<\/p>\n
"The suspects' conduct eventually led to chaos, property
\ndestruction, injuries and the death of four Trisakti students,"
\nhe told the court.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors also said the suspects were armed with
\n"blanks, rubber bullets and tear gas".<\/p>\n
"Therefore, we demand that the two defendants remain in
\ncustody during which we ask to bring in 10 witnesses to testify
\nin this trial," Sardji said.<\/p>\n
He identified the 10 witnesses as West Jakarta Police Chief
\nLt. Col. Timur Pradopo, Second Sgt. Cecep Dadang S., Second Sgt.
\nSunarto, private Arwan Saleh Siregar, Capt. Arman Dahlan, Second
\nLt. Mahmud Sulaiman, head of Trisakti campus authority Ari
\nGunarsa, neighborhood civilian security officer Samsudin, head of
\nTrisakti security Yonas Pattikaihatu and Trisakti student
\nJulianto Hendro Cahyono, an economics major who is also
\nTrisakti's student senate chairman.<\/p>\n
No evidence was presented during yesterday's hearing.<\/p>\n
National Military Police Corps Commander Maj. Gen. Syamsu
\nDjalal said Tuesday that all of the 18 suspects would be charged
\nunder Article 170 of the Criminal Code for violent assault, which
\ncarries a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison.<\/p>\n
At times during the hearing, most of the watching police
\nofficers voiced their support for their fellow members on trial.<\/p>\n
"Yeah ... be brave, man!" cried some of them, forcing
\npresiding judge Col. Sudji Suradi to bang his gavel to silence
\nthe court.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors' charges were at least twice objected to by
\nthe defense team led by noted Indonesian attorney Adnan Buyung
\nNasution. He was accompanied by eight senior lawyers: O.C.
\nKaligis, Hotman Paris Hutapea, Moh. Assegaff, Rudhy A. Lontoh,
\nDenny Kailimang, Hotma Sitompul, Otto Hasibuan and Purwaning
\nYanuar.<\/p>\n
The team also consists of six senior officials from the
\nNational Police Legal Affairs Department.<\/p>\n
Differences<\/p>\n
The defense questioned significant differences of words found
\nin the indictments read by the prosecutors compared to those in
\nthe defense's hands.<\/p>\n
"You also said in the indictment that the police were armed
\nonly with rubber bullets, tear gas and blanks. Yet, the results
\nof Jakarta Military Police investigation showed that the four
\nTisakti students died from live ammunition.<\/p>\n
"These defendants obviously were not the ones who shot them,
\nand therefore, there is no correlation between their action and
\nthe death of the students," Adnan said.<\/p>\n
O.C. Kaligis took the stand and backed up Adnan's opinion,
\nsaying that the prosecutors were trying to mislead the public,
\nstoke student outrage and lead the innocent officers to a "fatal
\nindictment".<\/p>\n
The hearing was closed with a defense plea to dismiss all
\ncharges.<\/p>\n
"We also want the court to release defendant Agus from
\ndetainment because his wife is due to give birth," Buyung said.
\nThe appeal was quickly rejected by the judges.<\/p>\n
"The defendant will remain in prison and we will adjourn until
\nthe next session on Tuesday at 9 a.m. sharp," presiding judge
\nSudji said.<\/p>\n
Outside, an angry group of Trisakti students yelled their
\ndisappointment at the defense team, particularly Buyung whom they
\nhave considered a strong supporter of the student movement.<\/p>\n
"Why are you defending killers? You said you'd support the
\nstudent fight for reform all the way! You're a traitor," said
\nHendro Cahyono of Trisakti University.<\/p>\n
Buyung tried to calm the angry students and said: "You want
\nall this to be revealed completely?"<\/p>\n
"This trial is one way to reach that goal. You can't just
\nblame and drag down innocent people, ruining their lives. For
\nwhat?"<\/p>\n
Speaking with reporters later, Buyung said he chose to defend
\nthe suspects because he saw discriminative action aimed at the
\npolice. (edt)<\/p>",
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