Court told to drop murder charges

JAKARTA (JP): A lawyer for the defendants in a police murder case demanded yesterday that the South Jakarta District Court drop all charges against his clients because there was a deviation in the investigation process.

Sapriyanto Refa said that Reza Lawalata, 25, and Idris Tuarita, 27, suspects in the murder of Lt. Budi Santosa, were not accompanied by a lawyer during questioning, as is required by article 56 of the Criminal Code.

"Since the investigation process was illegal, the accusation was also illegal," he said, urging the judge to reject the accusation.

Reza and Idris, as well as eight other hoodlums, are accused of attacking Lt. Budi Santosa and Captain Arman Depari in the Blok M shopping complex on March 6, 1995. Budi was fatally stabbed in the abdomen, while Depari suffered injuries.

The six other suspects are still being questioned by police. They are Rudy Lasatira, Robinson Timiseli, Amirsan Liskaloho, Amir, Zulkifli Nahumaruri and Jimiko Danyanto.

Mario and Franky, two other suspects believed to have been the ones who stabbed Santosa, died in police custody.

The death of Lt. Budi Santosa sparked strong reactions from police, as well as military officials, who then launched a large- scale operation against hoodlums throughout the city and even the country. (29)