Bintang threatens to walk out of his subversian trial

JAKARTA (JP): Former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas is expected to attend Monday's opening court session of the subversion charges against him but he will likely boycott the rest of the proceedings at the South Jakarta District Court.

"Bintang will come to the court, but he will walk out of the courtroom once the proceedings have started," Sri Bintang Pamungkas' wife, Ernalia, told reporters here yesterday.

Ernalia said her husband will stage a "walk out" because he has never seen nor signed the dossier of his subversion charges.

One of Bintang's lawyers, Munir, said in a press conference Tuesday that Bintang refused to sign the indictment against him as it was not accompanied by a dossier.

Munir, who is the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation's (YLBHI) operations secretary, said Bintang also wants the trial's chief prosecutor S.T. Silangit replaced because of his harsh treatment of Bintang during an earlier interrogation.

Bintang claims that Silangit had tried to slap him in the face twice during the interrogations in March and April.

Munir said a letter demanding Silangit be replaced was forwarded to the South Jakarta Prosecutor's Office Tuesday.

"Bintang filed a second protest after noticing last week that the indictment against him was signed by Silangit," Munir said at his office.

Munir said Bintang had previously sent Attorney General Singgih a letter in March protesting the harsh interrogation carried out by Silangit.

Ernalia, who was also present at the press conference Tuesday, said they were concerned that Silangit might hold a personal grudge against Bintang.

"When Silangit was an investigator, he showed his foul intentions by harshly interrogating my husband," Ernalia said.

Bintang will be charged for subversion based on his activities in the Indonesian Democratic Union Party, a party he founded with other activists last year.

Among the new charges brought against him was a call to boycott the May general election which he inscribed in his Idul Fitri greeting cards sent out to many people, including government officials. (10)