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)