Court asked to free defendants in Trisakti shooting incident

JAKARTA (JP): Defense lawyers in the court martial of two police officers accused of indiscipline during the Trisakti shooting incident continued to demand the release of their clients yesterday, arguing they had acted according to existing police guidelines throughout the fateful day.

The two officers, company commander First Lt. Agus Tri Heryanto and platoon commander Second Lt. Pariyo, both from the city police Mobile Brigade, are accused of acting in an indisciplined manner by ordering their men to open fire on demonstrators during the May 12 incident at Trisakti University in West Jakarta.

Taking turns to read out their statement, the lawyers said the prosecutors' indictment had many inconsistencies.

"The two ordered their men to open fire because they considered the situation to be dangerous.

"The prosecutors themselves stated in their indictment that rocks and bamboo poles were thrown toward the officers," defense lawyer Otto Hasibuan said.

"So why did they (the prosecutors) then go on to say that based on the testimony of witnesses no stones were thrown? They then argued that because no stones had been thrown the defendants were not entitled to open fire. That is very confusing," he said.

M. Assegaf, another lawyer, also questioned why evidence relating to the case, including a video tape of the incident and missiles thrown during the fray, were not presented to the court.

"To build a case it is very important to present all the evidence. So why has that not happened here?

"Moreover, why have the prosecutors only questioned police officers? What about the other military personnel who were present during the incident?" Assegaf said.

The court was also asked to investigate allegations that Salatiel Daili, a prosecution witness from Trisakti University, lied under oath.

During the fifth hearing in the tribunal he claimed to recognize Agus as the officer who shot the students.

Obscured

However it was then demonstrated how Agus, when wearing a helmet as Salatiel himself described, could not possibly have been recognized because the greater part of his face was obscured.

An awkward scene occurred yesterday when one visitor in the public gallery, noted rock singer Renny Djajoesman, was ejected from the court for putting a peppermint into her mouth.

"You! Out of this room!" presiding judge Sudji Suradi said.

"It's just a peppermint and it's not against the rules," she protested.

But the judge was adamant and ordered a court officer to usher her out of the room.

"Well... we all eat peppermints in here," defense lawyer Assegaf said. "If the judge wants to be fair... then all of us should leave now."

The verdict will be read out on Aug. 12.

After yesterday's hearing prosecutors said they would shortly submit dossiers on four other suspects in the May 12 incident to the court.

Col. Sadji Purwono announced that the four police officers facing trial were two company commanders from the city police Mobile Brigade, a police Group IV company commander and a company commander from the police Rapid Reaction Unit.

"We have completed dossiers on them. All four have been charged with indiscipline under Article 103 of the Military Penal Code," Sadji said.

He declined to give any further details about the four officers.

Only two of 18 suspects allegedly involved in the incident in which four students were shot to death have so far been brought to trial. (edt)