Court continues JSX bombing trial

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court continued the trial on Wednesday of the Jakarta Stock Exchange (JSX) bombing case despite the refusal of two prime suspects to attend the session following the escape of another suspect, Army soldier Second Corp. Ibrahim Hasan a day earlier.

Presiding judges Poerwono and Usmandhani Achmad who presided over two separate trials cited Article 178 of the Procedure Code which stipulates that a trial could proceed even though the suspects refused to appear before the court.

"With or without the suspects, I will continue to hear the case," Poerwono said in response to the objection of defense lawyer Johnson Pandjaitan of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI).

Johnson insisted his client Irwan, a former member of the Army's Special Force (Kopassus), was too afraid to attend the meeting following Ibrahim's escape from Military Police detention.

The lawyer demanded the presence of the two escapees, Ibrahim Hasan, an active member of the Army's Strategic Reserves Command (Kostrad) who fled on Monday morning, and civilian Ibrahim Abdul Wahab who also escaped earlier in February.

"The presence of these two suspects is only a formality. As their lawyer, you are the one who is supposed to bring the suspects to this room," Poerwono told Johnson.

Johnson immediately left the court in protest over the judge's refusal to fulfill his demand.

"It is the prosecutor's responsibility to bring the suspect to court, not mine," Johnson said in an emotional tone.

Soldier Ibrahim Hasan, civilian Ibrahim Abdul Wahab, along with former soldier Irwan are three of five suspects who are included in one dossier.

Another dossier involves Aceh civilians Tengku Ismahudi and Nuryadin. Their trial was held later in the afternoon. Ismuhadi is charged with being the strategist and organizer of the bombing. Their trial is presided over by Judge Usmandhani. Johnson is also their lawyer.

They were facing charges in court for their alleged involvement in the bombing at JSX building, in South Jakarta, last September which killed 11 people, injured dozens of others and damaged some 200 vehicles.

Outside the court room, Johnson claimed that following the escape of Ibrahim Hasan, his clients, Irwan and Ismuhadi, were afraid to attend the trial as "there was no legal protection given to them."

Both Irwan and Ismuhadi are being detained at the Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta. (tso)