Prosecutors ignore defense request in Trisakti hearing<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The second session of the court-martial of two
\npolice officers involved in the Trisakti shooting incident ended
\nin tension yesterday after prosecutors ignored a defense request
\nto respond to the prosecutor's statement.<\/p>\n
The hearing began at 9 a.m. sharp with the prosecutors
\nresponse to the call made by the defense team during the first
\nhearing on Saturday for all charges to be dropped because it was
\nknown that the defendants did not kill the students and were
\nbeing used to shield those responsible.<\/p>\n
For the prosecution, Col. Sardji Purwono and Capt. Bambang Ari
\nWibowo said the suggestion was absurd.<\/p>\n
\"The defense plea is an attempt by their lawyers to discredit
\nthe prosecution. It is not true that we engineered this trial,\"
\nSardji said.<\/p>\n
\"What is more important is that we serve justice in the
\nmilitary high court. It is not true that we want to mislead the
\npublic, fuel student outrage or use innocent officers as
\nscapegoats,\" he told the court.<\/p>\n
The significant differences found by lawyers in the indictment
\nread out by prosecutors and the copies later distributed to
\ndefense lawyers during Saturday's session were merely \"wording
\nmistakes\", Sardji added.<\/p>\n
In the version of their case which prosecutors read out to the
\ncourt they said that \"the police used tear gas and flame-throwers
\nto disperse the crowd,\" however, in the version distributed to
\ndefense lawyers flame-throwers had been changed to water cannons.<\/p>\n
After the prosecutor's statement, presiding judge Col. Sudji
\nSuradi adjourned the trial of company commander First Lt. Agus
\nTri Heryanto, 29, and platoon leader Second Lt. Pariyo, 38, both
\nfrom Jakarta Police mobile brigade unit until Friday at 9 a.m.<\/p>\n
The judges ignored a request by defense lawyers, led by Adnan
\nBuyung Nasution, to reply to the prosecutor's statement.<\/p>\n
Sudji said: \"You cannot reply now. You must wait until the
\nnext appeal session after Friday's hearing.\"<\/p>\n
Law No. 31\/1997 Article 145 on military high courts states
\nthat the judge can adjourn the trial after both lawyers and
\nprosecutors have stated their case, he said.<\/p>\n
\"The defense team stated its position on Saturday. Now the
\nmilitary prosecutor has responded. It is now therefore time for
\nthe judges to adjourn the hearing,\" Sudji said.<\/p>\n
Adnan voiced his disappointment at the decision.<\/p>\n
\"What can we do if the court will not give us a chance to
\nargue our case. This is against the universal law,\" Adnan told
\nthe court to cheers from the public gallery.<\/p>\n
After the trial, Adnan told reporters that the trial was
\nunfair.<\/p>\n
\"This court is in ruin! This trial is no longer objective or
\nfair. It has been engineered.\"<\/p>\n
He also condemned the intimidation and threats which he has
\nreceived since taking the case.<\/p>\n
\"My family and I have been put under pressure. We have been
\nthreatened over the phone. Even Adi Andojo (dean of the Trisakti
\nUniversity faculty of law) accused me of being a traitor. But I
\ntell you this. I'll never give up. Never.\"<\/p>\n
\"This case is not only about setting the defendants free. It
\nis about creating a better justice of system here. It's time for
\nus to ditch our rotten system.\"<\/p>\n
Head of the Armed Forces Law Department\/General Prosecutor
\nMaj. Gen. Andi M. Ghalib denied the lawyers claims at a media
\nconference later yesterday.<\/p>\n
\"You have to remember that the officers are charged under
\nArticle 103, not Article 338 (for murder). We are putting field
\ncommanders on trial for their failure to control the situation,
\nnot for shooting the students.<\/p>\n
Adnan rejected Andi's argument and questioned why only the
\nmobile brigade had put their men or trial, not any of the other
\nthree units on duty at the demonstration that day.<\/p>\n
Four students were killed and many more injured when security
\nforces opened fire on demonstrators at Trisakti University in
\nGrogol, West Jakarta, on May 12. The incident sparked massive
\nriots and a political chain reaction which eventually lead to the
\ndemise of president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
The two officers have been charged with indiscipline under
\nArticle 103 of the Military Penal Court. They face a maximum
\nsentence of two years and four months in prison. There are a
\ntotal of 18 suspects in the case.<\/p>\n
In a related development, Jakarta Military Police Commander
\nCol. Hendardji told The Jakarta Post yesterday said that the
\nsuspects' superior officers had refused to submit the 21 weapons
\nallegedly used in the shooting to his office.<\/p>\n
\"We have to match the bullet taken recently from one of the
\nvictim's bodies with the gun that fired it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Hendardji strongly believed that \"at least one of the suspects
\nfired on the students.\" (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/prosecutors-ignore-defense-request-in-trisakti-hearing-1447893297",
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