Court asked to dismiss bomb suspect charges

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers for bomb suspect Maria Elize Tuwahatu asked the East Jakarta District Court on Wednesday to reject prosecution charges as they were based on the testimony of psychic Agung Yulianto, alias Ki Joko Bodo, whom they labeled a liar.

"The Criminal Code Procedures do not permit a liar to testify. Agung Yulianto is a fortune teller, a shaman... he can be categorized as liar," defense counsel Masiga Bugis told the court.

Elize has been charged by prosecutor Surung Aritonang with having violated the 1951 Emergency Law on the illegal possession of explosives, a capital offense.

The defendant was arrested by the police on Jan. 19 at the Taman Mini Indonesia recreational park in East Jakarta. The arrest was made following a tip-off from Ki Joko Bodo, who said he was asked by Elize to plant the bombs at the Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the central tax office.

Elize earlier told police that she had received the bombs from Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the fugitive youngest son of former President Soeharto. But she later retracted her statement, saying she was given the bombs by a man who resembled Tommy.

Masiga said the police should question Ki Joko Bodo over his decision to report the case to the police. He said there were strong indications that it was actually Ki Joko Bodo who had asked Elize to plant the bombs.

"As Ki Joko Bodo's customer, my client was supposed to obey him," Masiga said.

Masiga also told the court that his client had been tortured and coerced into making statements by the police investigators, and was not allowed to have a lawyer present during the questioning.

"The South Jakarta Police were looking for a target... a scapegoat had to be found. They even suggested Tommy's name as the man who gave my client the bombs, and forced her to confirm this," Masiga said.

"Due to the many mistakes made by the prosecutors, such as filing an invalid dossier and using an unreliable witness, we ask the court to reject the prosecution indictment and declare it to be without adequate basis in law," Masiga said.

The trial will resume next week to hear the prosecution's response. (02)