Army officer goes on trial for his role in Marsinah murder

JAKARTA (JP): The Surabaya Military Tribunal in East Java has opened the trial of an Army captain in connection with the murder of labor activist, Marsinah, now that the last of nine civilians linked with the killing has been convicted.

Captain Kusaeri, formerly chief of the military command in Porong, near Surabaya, was charged on Tuesday with failing to act, either to prevent or to report the murder plot to the higher authorities before it was executed in May of last year.

Col. Srihadi Rahardjo, the prosecutor in the case, told the military tribunal that the defendant knowingly took part in kidnapping Marsinah days before she was murdered.

Marsinah's badly mutilated body was found on May 9 of last year only days after she had led a workers' strike at PT Catur Putra Surya, the watchmaking company where she worked.

Nine people have been convicted for her murder, the last one being Yudi Astono, a director of PT Catur Putra Surya, who received a four-year jail term on Tuesday for helping to concoct the murder plan.

The stiffest term was 17 years for Yudi Susanto, the owner of the company, who the court said masterminded the killing, with the motive being to silence her before she went public with some irregularities in the company's operations. Six others received between 12 and 13 years while one woman, the company's personnel manager, received seven months.

All nine convicts have denied the charges and said they are victims of an official cover-up protecting the real murderers. They have all appealed their sentences.

Innocence

After the hearing on Tuesday at the Sidoarjo District Court, Yudi Astono said he cannot accept the verdict.

"I'm appealing. I didn't do it," he said.

The four-year jail term was three years lighter than that sought by government prosecutors, who said that the defendant provided the meeting room in which the murder plan was discussed as well as the cars used to kidnap the victim.

Marsinah's murder prompted strong criticisms from local and international labor and human rights organizations.

Kusaeri, who has testified against all nine defendants, is the only military officer to be tried in connection with the murder.

The tribunal, presided over by Col. Baroena A, on Tuesday presented testimony of three Catur Putra Surya security officers who were among the convicted nine, to testify in the hearing.

The three -- Bambang Wuryantoro, Soeprapto and Soewono -- used the opportunity to once again state their innocence and said that the incriminating statements they gave to their interrogators were forced through torture.

The hearing will be held every day and will include the testimony of others who have already been convicted for the murder.

The former head of the Sidoarjo Military District, Lt. Col. Max Salaki, is also listed among witnesses scheduled to testify in the trial. (prs)