Bridge collapse defendant freed

JAKARTA (JP): The West Jakarta District Court yesterday found a Korean man not guilty of causing the collapse of the 500-ton Grogol overpass on March 22.

State prosecutor Lonardi Maladi had asked the judges to sentence Byung Woo Lee, 38, to one year's imprisonment, under Article 359 of the Criminal Code, for negligence causing the deaths of three construction workers, and injuring five others.

Byung was the construction superintendent.

Presiding judge M. Suleman said that none of the 23 witnesses called had been able to provide any evidence that Byung had ordered workers to remove the crossbars or the overpass ramp.

The defendant did not deserve to be punished, he said.

"The charges against him could not be proved during the trial," Suleman said.

The announcement of the verdict was postponed twice because the defendant had been sick.

Byung kept his head down throughout the three-hour session.

He cried when the prosecutor read the sentence request, but smiled and nodded when the not guilty verdict was translated.

When the presiding judge asked him if he wanted to say anything, Byung said that he sent his condolences to the victims' families, and thanked the judges for letting him go free. (12/27)