Budiman walks out of courtroom
JAKARTA (JP): The subversion trial of youth activist Budiman Sudjatmiko continued at the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday without the defendant or his lawyers.
Budiman, the leader of the Democratic People's Party (PRD), walked out of the courtroom followed by his team of lawyers about an hour after yesterday's hearing opened.
The walkout came after the panel of judges refused Budiman's request to hear the testimony of his witness, a labor expert.
When judge Sjoffinan Sumantri asked Budiman whether he was willing to be heard, Budiman said, "I am forced to reject the hearing over me."
"I'll let you go, I didn't drive you out," Sjoffinan replied.
As Budiman and his lawyers walked out onlookers cheered. Judge Sjoffinan was visibly annoyed and told the onlookers to leave the courtroom.
Budiman and 15 other members of the PRD have been charged under the subversion law for allegedly undermining the state and insulting the government through party activities.
They are being tried separately at the Central and South Jakarta District courts and in the Surabaya District Court in East Java.
In refusing Budiman's lawyers' request, Sjoffinan said he had already given the lawyers two chances to present an expert witness.
The lawyers conceded they had made mistakes, but they asked the judge to give them another chance because the witness was now in court. They said that after the witness gave his testimony, Budiman would be willing to be heard.
When the judge refused the request, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan, one of Budiman's lawyers said, "The judges are not acting under the law, but under the power".
The judge replied, "It's up to you to interpret. If you are not satisfied, you can appeal to a higher court."
Budiman then told the court that Sjoffinan was not putting all his effort into the case.
"This is about one's life," Budiman said, before he refused to be heard.
If found guilty, Budiman faces a maximum penalty of death.
Yesterday at the Jakarta Administrative Court, a judge dismissed the lawsuit of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Megawati is opposed to President Soeharto, Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono, Attorney General Singgih, and the South Jakarta Police Chief Lt. Col. Sisno Adiwinoto.
Megawati demanded the court annul orders issued by Moerdiono and Singgih to the police to investigate her and her husband Taufiq Kiemas as witnesses in the police investigation of Haryanto Taslam, a PDI leader, suspected of organizing a political meeting at Megawati's residence in South Jakarta.
Her lawyers said that as members of the House of Representatives, Megawati and Taufiq cannot be investigated by police without written presidential approval.
Judge Lintong Oloan Siahaan said that presidential spoken approval was legal because up till now there has been no law which regulated that the approval should be in written form. (05)