Court begins hearing of Haryogi M. Maulani

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)