Army elite force members jailed for abductions

Army elite force members jailed for abductions

JAKARTA (JP): A military court sentenced 11 Army's Special
Force (Kopassus) soldiers on Tuesday between one year and 22
months in jail for abducting nine political activists in the last
month of Soeharto's regime.

The panel of judges, presided over by Col. Susanto, said that
defendants were guilty of "collectively depriving freedom" of the
activists.

"The defendants have committed disgraceful acts as they had
carried out the detention of the activists which was beyond their
authority," Susanto said.

The judges sentenced the highest-ranking defendant Maj.
Bambang Kristiono to 22 months imprisonment and fired him from
the Armed Forces (ABRI).

The court, also sentenced Capt. F.S. Multhazar, Capt. Nugroho
Sulistyo Budi, Capt. Yulius Selvanus and Capt. Untung Budi Harto
to 20 months imprisonment and dismissed them from the military.

The court also sentenced Capt. Dadang Hendra Yudha, Capt. Jaka
Budi Utama and Capt. Fauka Noor Farid to 16 months imprisonment
and the remaining three defendants, Chief Sgt. Sunaryo, Chief
Sgt. Sigit Sugianto and Sgt. First Class Sukadi, to 12 months
imprisonment.

"These defendants were not the key factors in the offense and
they still can be cultivated to be good soldiers," Susanto said,
explaining why they were not dismissed.

The sentence for Bambang was four months shorter than military
prosecutor Col. Harom Wijaya had sought. The sentences against
Multhazar, Yulius, Untung, Dadang, Jaka and Fauka were six months
shorter.

The sentence for Nugroho was two months shorter and the
sentences for the three sergeants were three months shorter than
prosecutors' demands.

Deprivation of freedom under Article 333 of the Criminal Code
carries a maximum penalty of eight years imprisonment.

Bambang and the seven captains rejected the court ruling and
said they would appeal while the sergeants had yet to decide.

Susanto said the defendants, who had been involved in a number
of military operations in the country's trouble spots of Aceh,
Irian Jaya and East Timor, had tarnished the image of ABRI and
Kopassus in particular.

"They have breached the Sapta Marga doctrine and the soldier's
oath and they have also ruined the relationship between ABRI and
the public," Susanto said.

The defendants have been arrested since mid-July 1998 and
placed under house arrest since March 16 following the end of
their maximum detention period.

Bambang had told the military court that he had established a
"Rose Team" within Kopassus in July 1997 to arrest "radical
activists" who he said were trying to sabotage the General
Session of the People's Consultative Assembly in March last year.

One of nine former abduction victims, Pius Lustrilanang,
remarked he had not believed in the trial since it started,
"because (former president) Soeharto and top military officers
who are the most responsible parties for the abductions are not
brought to court," he told The Jakarta Post.

Pius, who is to be married on April 16, was present on Tuesday
to personally deliver his wedding invitation to the defendants.

The nine were among 23 activists who were abducted by
unidentified men since April 1997. They reported torture but this
was not mentioned in the trial.

Thirteen others are still listed missing while the trial
only focused on the nine victims. The association of relatives of
missing persons, IKOHI, had said Monday that they will continue
to seek the truth of their missing members, through, among
others, cooperation with concerned political parties.

At the time of the abductions, the defendants were under the
command of Soeharto's son-in-law Prabowo Subianto.

Prabowo was honorably discharged from the military last year
while two other senior Kopassus officers, Maj. Gen. Muchdi
Purwopranjono and Col. Chairawan, were also released from active
duty for their alleged involvement in the abductions.

All these officers were not mentioned in the prosecution.
Prabowo admitted before the Officer's Honor Council last August
that he was involved in the abductions, and is known to be still
in Jordan. (byg)