Towil's lawyers skip defense statement<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers representing former Bapindo director
\nTowil Heryoto who is being tried on corruption charges waived
\ntheir right to read the defense statement yesterday, allowing the
\ntrial to proceed almost uncontested.<\/p>\n
Rudhy A. Lontoh, the leading lawyer in Towil's defense team,
\ntold a court hearing that he did not see sufficient reason to
\nattack the prosecution's case.<\/p>\n
The move, while permitted, was considered rather unusual since
\nthe defense statement provides an opportunity for the lawyers to
\ntear the prosecution's case into pieces from the point of view of
\nlegal technicalities.<\/p>\n
The entire hearing yesterday lasted only five minutes. The
\ncourt adjourned the trial session to next Monday, when the
\ntestimony of witnesses will start.<\/p>\n
Towil is the third suspect to be tried in connection with the
\nRp 1.3 trillion loan scandal at the government bank.<\/p>\n
Thomas Tampubolon, a member of the team of defense lawyers,
\ntold The Jakarta Post that a defense statement is not a must.
\n\"There is no point exerting ourselves only to fulfill procedure
\nwhen we don't have see any strong argument,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Some other experts on law disagreed.<\/p>\n
One lawyer who asked not to be identified said Towil's defense
\nlawyers had thrown away a golden opportunity. \"Although there is
\nalmost no chance to win, they should still use the opportunity.\"<\/p>\n
At least the statement will be on record and it might count
\nheavily if and when the case is later appealed in higher courts
\nwhich would look into the technical aspects, the lawyer said.<\/p>\n
Mohammad Assegaf, a leading criminal and corporate lawyer,
\nsaid the impression is that some judges do not treat the defense
\nstatement seriously and regard it simply as a tactic employed by
\nlawyers to stall for time. (05)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/towils-lawyers-skip-defense-statement-1447893297",
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