Trisakti defense team meets with defendants<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The defense team in the Trisakti court-martial
\nmet with the two police officers on trial at Jakarta Military
\nPolice Headquarters in Guntur, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"This meeting is very important because we are responsible to
\ngive advice, support and guide the defendants. It is their right
\nto be protected, and it is our job to do so,\" the leader of the
\ndefense team, Adnan Buyung Nasution, said.<\/p>\n
After a one-and-a-half-hour briefing at city police
\nheadquarters, the defense lawyers headed to Guntur for their
\nmeeting with the two defendants at about 11 p.m.<\/p>\n
The lawyers -- Otto Hasibuan, Denny Kailimang, Hotman Paris
\nHutapea, Rudhy A. Lontoh and Hotma Sitompul -- were greeted by
\nJakarta Military Police Commander Col. Hendardji.<\/p>\n
Buyung said the meeting touched on significant testimony from
\nthe two police officers -- company commander First Lt. Agus Tri
\nHeryanto, 29, and platoon leader Second Lt. Pariyo, 38, both from
\nJakarta Police Mobile Brigade -- about their whereabouts and what
\noccurred during the incident.<\/p>\n
\"We don't have much time to consult with the two defendants.
\nWe have to be ready for Monday's trial session. Hopefully we can
\nreveal the truth,\" Buyung added.<\/p>\n
Buyung stood by earlier statements that the trial was being
\nengineered.<\/p>\n
\"Why do I say this? Because the prosecutors' indictment letter
\nstated that the two officers were responsible for their
\nundisciplined conduct which led to the deaths of four Trisakti
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
\"The fact is we haven't even found the real shooters here. We
\ndon't know for sure whether the shooters are among the two
\nofficers' subordinates. What if the shooters are not members of
\ntheir squads?\" Buyung explained.<\/p>\n
Today's hearing is scheduled to cross-examine 10 witnesses,
\nwith West Jakarta Police chief Lt. Col. Timur Pradopo being the
\nfirst witness to appear.<\/p>\n
\"I'm fine. I just pray to God to give me the strength to go
\non,\" Timur told The Jakarta Post at city police headquarters.<\/p>\n
Before the meeting in Guntur, one of the two defendants, Agus
\nTri Heryanto, got a chance to speak to the media to talk about
\nhis feelings concerning the case.<\/p>\n
\"I was shocked when I was named as one of the suspects. I was
\nonly armed with a shield (when the incident took place) but they
\nsaid that my actions caused the death of four people. That's
\nabsurd.<\/p>\n
\"I did the best I could in my duties. My hope is that I can
\nwalk a free man,\" said the father of a five-day-old baby boy
\nnamed Fierlian Rifqi Heriyanto.<\/p>\n
He revealed that when the incident took place, only 18 of the
\n98 officers under his command were armed with SS-1 weapons. \"And
\nthey had only three blank bullets and 12 rubber bullets.\"<\/p>\n
Agus said he had not yet been able to meet his wife, Ary
\nSusiani, since she had their baby. \"My boy is currently in
\nBandung. I miss them ... but what can I do?\"<\/p>\n
Pariyo, the other defendant, talked about how he felt with his
\nlawyers, saying he was ready to face the trial and its
\nconsequences, but could not hide the depressed look on his face.<\/p>\n
\"They feed me three times a day. I'm OK. I accept this as
\nGod's will,\" he whispered.<\/p>\n
The two defendants admitted that investigators did not use
\nviolence during questioning and that they were able to
\ncommunicate with the other suspects in detention.<\/p>\n
Investigation<\/p>\n
Hendardji said that the 21 weapons -- SS-1s and Steyr AUG-Ps
\n-- submitted to the National Police Forensic Laboratory were
\ncurrently undergoing ballistic tests.<\/p>\n
\"The worst possibility is that none of the weapons match with
\nthe live bullet taken from Heri Hartanto's body (one of the four
\ndead students). We will know that within a week.<\/p>\n
\"If that's so, it means that I have to order all squads
\ninvolved in the incident to submit their weapons, and run
\nballistic tests on the more than 100 guns used there,\" Hendardji
\nsaid, adding that the investigation was currently leading to the
\nmain suspect of the fatal shootings.<\/p>\n
When asked about the fact that all the suspects in the
\nTrisakti case were police officers and that it appeared
\ndiscriminatory since military personnel were at the scene, he
\nsaid that the investigation was fair.<\/p>\n
\"I have investigated all commanders in the field from all
\nsquads. There were eight companies involved: four companies from
\nthe police, namely the Mobile Brigade and City Police, and the
\nother four from the army, namely the Jakarta Military Command and
\nArmy Strategic Reserves Command.<\/p>\n
\"But none of the army members were involved since they stayed
\nin their position. It was the police who conducted the shootings
\nand they went ahead toward Trisakti area,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the investigation is focused on the police, he told
\nthe Post, adding that there was an army squad, the City Infantry
\nRegiment, which came to the Trisakti area. \"But it was between
\nnoon and 1 p.m. on May 12, way before the clash broke out.\"<\/p>\n
Some 32 students have been questioned to gain more information
\nabout the incident. \"But so far only one will be present as a
\nwitness,\" Hendardji said. (edt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/trisakti-defense-team-meets-with-defendants-1447893297",
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