Court asked to free defendants in Trisakti shooting incident
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)