Court asked to ignore bus driver's lawyers
Court asked to ignore bus driver's lawyers
JAKARTA (JP): The state prosecutor in the trial of Ramses Silitonga, the driver of a Metromini bus that plunged into the Sunter river in North Jakarta last year, killing 34 passengers, has asked the judge yesterday to ignore the statement of the defendant's lawyer.
"The lawyer's statement saying that my indictment was exaggerated cannot be used as a reason to declare that my indictment is wrong in law," prosecutor H.P.W Soekewi said.
She said an indictment could only be dismissed if it misidentified the defendant or if it was proffered in a court lacking jurisdiction to hear the trial.
The prosecutor said that the statement made by the defense lawyer, Victor Siahaan, was without foundation in law.
On Monday, lawyer Victor Siahaan told presiding judge Soemarjono that Soekewi's indictment, in which Ramses was charged with murder, was tendentious and exaggerated.
He said it was the first time in the history of Indonesian law that someone involved in a traffic accident had been charged with murder. "It is unprecedented, and therefore we strongly reject the charges," he said, as quoted by Antara.
This was disputed by prosecutor Soekewi, who said that murder charges had been laid in relation to a traffic accident in Pamekasan, Madura, several years ago.
It is alleged that on March 6 last year Ramses drove a Metromini (smaller-sized) bus along Jl. Yos Sudarso at a speed of between 80 and 90 kilometers per hour. According to the prosecution case, he continued speeding despite pleas from conductor Pontas Pakpahan and a number of passengers, who had reminded him that there were children aboard.
The prosecution claims that Ramses then lost control of the bus, which shortly afterwards plunged into the Sunter River.
Twenty people died at the accident scene, while 13 others died later in hospital.
Ramses, 33, evaded police and went into hiding in North Sumatra, his home province. Police finally managed to arrest the culprit in August. Police said Ramses had been living in the village of Tanjung Mulia in the Kampung Rakyat district, Labuhan Batu regency. He had been working for PT Pemudjur, a timber mill, under the name of Ucok Sitompul.
Judge Soemarjono adjourned the trial until Jan. 23. (mas)