Yorrys acquitted of gambling charges<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A panel of judges of the West Jakarta district
\ncourt have dismissed the gambling charges against Yorrys Raweyai,
\nthe controversial executive of the powerful Pemuda Pancasila
\nyouth organization, and his six co-accused.<\/p>\n
Justice Ismail Sebayang told the court yesterday that Yorrys,
\n43, along with Abidin, 52, Bok Tjin Lin, alias Halim Harto, 45,
\nNg A Tjan, alias Herman Tjandra, 64, Sundoro Tan, 46, Subianto,
\nalias Tju Bin Kiat, 53, and Hadi Mustofa Ching, 44, were
\ninnocent.<\/p>\n
The prosecution had failed to prove that the accused had been
\ninvolved in gambling, Justice Ismail said.<\/p>\n
\"Therefore, their good names should be restored to them, while
\nevidentiary material, such as the Rp 1,572,000 (US$691) in cash,
\nplaying cards, coins and a table should be returned to their
\nrightful owners,\" continued the judge, who was accompanied by
\nJustices Abdulrahim and Djupri Baidjuri.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Prosecutor M. Noor Said had sought a prison sentence
\nof eight months for Yorrys, who is the day-to-day chairman of the
\ninfamous youth organization, and the other accused, with the
\nexception of Abidin.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor recommended that Abidin, the owner of the
\npremises on which the group was arrested, be sentenced to 10
\nmonths' imprisonment.<\/p>\n
According to the panel of judges, the prosecutor's charges
\nremained unsubstantiated because the testimony of the single
\neyewitness in the case was illogical.<\/p>\n
Witness Markus had told the court that he saw the group
\ngambling through a small ventilation window, on the third floor
\nof Abidin's warehouse, using a ladder.<\/p>\n
But he admitted that he had recognized neither the people nor
\nthe gambling equipment being used.<\/p>\n
During the trial, all of the suspects denied Markus'
\nstatements, saying that they had been watching television and
\nsinging karaoke.<\/p>\n
The judges said that they doubted Markus' testimony because it
\nwas not easy to see through the small ventilation window.<\/p>\n
The judges said that it was an illogical effort for Markus to
\ncarry a ladder from the city police headquarters in order to
\narrest gamblers.<\/p>\n
Another event that made the judges doubt the truth of the
\ncharges was the procedure used to arrest the accused.<\/p>\n
The police said that they had arrested 14 suspected gamblers
\nat the scene but released seven, of whom four were women, several
\nhours later because of a lack of evidence that they had been
\ngambling.<\/p>\n
The suspects released did not even come to court to give
\nevidence, the judges said.<\/p>\n
\"Based on the facts, the panel of judges is not sure that
\ngambling was engaged in,\" Justice Ismail said.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Noor told the court he needed some time to decide
\nwhether or not to accept the judges' decision.<\/p>\n
After the trial, Yorrys, accompanied by his lawyer Ruhut
\nSitompoel, told reporters that he had no intention of suing the
\ncity police for mistakenly accusing him of gambling.<\/p>\n
\"As a good citizen, I accept the judges' decision and I have
\nno plan to sue the police,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The judges' decision came as no surprise to many people in
\nthis city, who had predicted an acquittal given Yorrys' social
\nstature.<\/p>\n
Yorrys and the other six people were arrested on the evening
\nof July 29 by a team of city police detectives at Abidin's
\nwarehouse on Jl. Daan Mogot 125 in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Many believed that the trial of Yorrys and his co-accused was
\none of the most complicated gambling trials ever in Indonesian
\nlegal history.<\/p>\n
Since the arrest of the group nine months ago, the trial has
\nproceeded over a series of sessions.<\/p>\n
In almost every session of the trial, city police have had to
\ndeploy dozens of armed personnel to guard the courthouse from
\ncrowds of people.<\/p>\n
Although it could not be proven, most of the crowds were
\nthought to be Yorrys' supporters.<\/p>\n
During one of the trial sessions on March 13, for example,
\npolice arrested 15 visitors, including one who was in possession
\nof a gun and bullets. (bsr)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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