Three more tried for UN peacekeeper's murder<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta District Court began on Monday the trial of
\nthree more prointegration militiamen charged with the alleged
\nmurder of a New Zealand peacekeeper in East Timor last year.<\/p>\n
They were tried in two separate trials. The first trial,
\npresided over by judge Muh. Daming Sunusi, presented defendant
\nFabianus Ulu, 20, while defendants Yohanes Timo, 33 and Gabriel
\nHale Noni, 36, appeared later in front of presiding judge
\nIskandar Tjakke.<\/p>\n
The defendants were tried for their alleged roles in the
\nmurder of Pvt. Leonard William Manning, 24, while he was serving
\nwith the United Nations Peace Keeping Force (UNPKF) on July 24,
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Timo and Noni were accused of violating a Criminal Code
\narticle on premeditated murder, which carries a maximum penalty
\nof death.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Ulu was charged with homicide. If found guilty, he
\ncould face 15 years imprisonment.<\/p>\n
On July 18, 2000, the defendants, Gabriel Moruk and Alfonsus
\nTaek, along with Yacobus Bere, who is also being tried at the
\nsame court, were hunting for cows.<\/p>\n
Six days later, they succeeded in capturing some cows near the
\nborder of East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor.<\/p>\n
While herding the cows back to their hometown in Atambua, East
\nNusa Tenggara, a car passed by Debululik hill. Assuming that the
\ncar was filled with UN soldiers, the group ran to hide, according
\nto the indictments.<\/p>\n
While they were hiding, Bere saw two Caucasians, identified as
\nwitness Phillip Murray Cheater and Manning, walking toward them.
\nBere and the others then set up a plan to kill the soldiers using
\nthe five firearms carried by the group for hunting.<\/p>\n
Bere opened fire on Cheater and Manning. The latter collapsed
\nafter Bere's bullet struck his head twice. Cheater returned fire,
\nbut then ran away as Bere's friends opened fire on him as well.<\/p>\n
"Bere handed his gun to Ulu, asked for Ulu's sword and
\napproached Manning's body. In order to make sure he was dead,
\nBere cut the victim's ears and slashed his throat using Ulu's
\nsword," Prosecutor Firdaus Dewilmar told the court, adding that
\nBere took Manning's weapon and ammunition.<\/p>\n
Bere's ongoing trial began in October.<\/p>\n
Before the 1999 referendum, which led to East Timor's vote for
\nindependence, Bere and the other defendants were members of the
\nPro Integration Fighters (PPI), a militia group that was formed
\nand supported by the Indonesian Military.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-more-tried-for-un-peacekeepers-murder-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}