Riot aftermath hits courtrooms<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Last week's massive rioting has brought justice
\nto a halt in courtrooms, with just a few justice seekers
\nappearing in court as scheduled and many suspects' detentions
\nbeing extended, court officials said yesterday.<\/p>\n
The city's five district courts were still quiet yesterday
\nafter huge riots jolted the city Wednesday and Thursday.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta District Court chief I.G.K. Sukarata said
\njudges were ready to hear cases but no plaintiffs or defendants
\nhad shown up.<\/p>\n
\"Justice seekers are probably still afraid to go out after the
\nriots,\" Sukarata said.<\/p>\n
His court, located on Jl. Gajah Mada, Central Jakarta, had
\npostponed dozens of trials due to the riots.<\/p>\n
He said the detention of several suspects, whose cases were
\nmeant to be heard recently, had been extended.<\/p>\n
\"But thank God, rioters did not attack our courthouse,\"
\nSukarata said.<\/p>\n
Jl. Gajah Mada and its surrounding areas were the worst hit
\nareas during the riots. Hundreds of buildings were destroyed by
\nangry mobs. The Central Jakarta Prosecutor Office's windows were
\nsmashed in the melee.<\/p>\n
Several cars belonging to prosecutors were damaged and their
\ncar audio systems stolen by rioters who allegedly came from
\nnearby areas, a prosecutor said.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors were idle in their office just down the street
\nfrom the court. Many of them were out of uniform.<\/p>\n
It was identical at the West, East and South Jakarta district
\ncourts. Only a few cars belonging to judges and court employees
\nwere parked in courthouse parking lots.<\/p>\n
Beng Seng affair<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the North Jakarta District Court heard a few cases
\nMonday, including a hearing on the 1995 murder of entertainment
\nbusinessman Nyo Beng Seng.<\/p>\n
Upon the order of the Supreme Court, the district court
\nreexamined witnesses to the murder. It heard the testimony of a
\nkey witness named Hasan alias Eng San. He denied killing Beng
\nSeng.<\/p>\n
The lower court decided in June last year that Eng San was
\nguilty of masterminding the killing and sentenced him to 17 years
\nin jail.<\/p>\n
But the Jakarta High Court overturned the verdict and freed
\nEng San, saying that key witness Kiki Arianto's written testimony
\nwas made while he was on the loose. Prosecutors appealed to the
\nSupreme Court.<\/p>\n
Kiki, who had been wanted by the police since 1996, was
\narrested after he testified at North Jakarta District Court on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors initially objected to the arrest but relented
\nafter police produced an arrest warrant, Capt. Dharma from city
\npolice headquarters told the media.<\/p>\n
\"We couldn't afford to lose him, especially when he was just a
\nfew meters away from us,\" said Dharma, who led the arrest.<\/p>\n
The arrest sparked tension between the city police and city
\nmilitary police, who were ordered to guard Kiki.<\/p>\n
\"But after we explained that Kiki was a key witness and was
\nallegedly involved in the murder of Nyo Beng Seng, the city
\nmilitary police let him be transferred to us,\" he said. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/riot-aftermath-hits-courtrooms-1447893297",
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