Court begins hearing of Haryogi M. Maulani

JAKARTA (JP): The West Jakarta District Court began on Monday the trial of Haryogi M. Maulani, son of former State Intelligence Coordinating Body (Bakin) chief Lt. Gen. Zaini Azhar Maulani.

Haryogi is on trial for the alleged illegal possession of firearms.

"The defendant has violated Article 1 of the 1951 Emergency Law," said prosecutor Andi Herman at the hearing, which is being presided over by judge Sri Handojo.

The article carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Prosecutor Herman said the defendant was arrested by city police personnel at a hotel on Jl. Hayam Wuruk in West Jakarta on Feb. 16.

"On that day, the defendant booked and checked into room 1002 of the hotel," said the prosecutor reading from the indictment.

He said hotel room boy Dadang Setyohadi brought some things to Haryogi's room some time after the 37-year-old defendant had entered it.

"When the witness entered the room, he saw a rifle on the floor. The defendant was speaking on the telephone," he said.

The prosecutor said the witness then picked up the rifle and laid it on top of the fridge.

"The witness asked the defendant whether he still needed his service. The defendant said that he (Dadang) was no longer needed in the room," he said.

The witness then reported all he had seen to the hotel's security staff, who later conveyed the information to officers at the nearby Taman Sari Police subprecinct.

The police personnel then rushed to the hotel and searched for the defendant.

"Police officers raided the hotel room, but the defendant was not there," he said.

Fortunately, a hotel security guard reported the identity of the suspected owner of the rifle to the police, he said.

"Police personnel by chance found the defendant somewhere in the hotel, and searched him for the rifle," he said.

Instead of finding a rifle, he said, the police found and later seized a loaded 7.65-caliber Colt Walther handgun, registration number 271759, with seven bullets, which were strapped to one of the defendant's legs.

"The police then continued their search for the rifle, and finally found it in the hotel's parking lot, thanks to a tip off the hotel's parking staffer, Asep," the prosecutor said.

The rifle was an unloaded AK-47, serial number 4857, he said.

Judge Sri Handojo adjourned the hearing until next week to hear defense statements from the defendant's lawyer, Henry Yosodiningrat. (asa)