Decision on Marsinah not final

Decision on Marsinah not final

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Oetojo Oesman said yesterday
that the East Java high court's decision to free businessman Judi
Susanto, the main suspect in the murder case of labor activist
Marsinah, was not final.

"The prosecutors may appeal to the Supreme Court if they feel
that the high court's decision to release Judi from all charges
was unacceptable," Oetojo told reporters after meeting with
President Soeharto.

Oetojo reported to the president at a recent international
seminar on organized crime held in Milan, Italy. He also briefed
the president about the implementation of the presidential decree
regarding a salary raise for judges.

Oetojo declined to go into detail on the Marsinah affair,
saying that it was the Supreme Court's authority to give
comments.

"There are clear job descriptions for the Ministry of Justice
and the Supreme Court," he said.

Judi Susanto, who was sentenced to 17 years imprisonment by
the Surabaya district court last June, has been cleared of all
charges of killing Marsinah by the East Java high court.

The high court argued he was free of all charges due to a lack
of legal reasons to throw him behind bars for the death of the
labor activist.

The Surabaya prosecutor's office has reportedly appealed the
controversial decision to the Supreme Court.

Marsinah was found dead after leading a workers' strike at PT
Catur Putra Surya, a watch-making factory in Sidoarjo, East Java,
that was owned by Judi.

Marsinah's badly mutilated body was later found on May 9,
1993, in an abandoned shack near Nganjuk in East Java.

Besides Judi eight others were imprisoned by the District
Court for their involvement in the murder.

All of the nine people convicted for the murder of Marsinah
have maintained their innocence. The nine were executives and
staff members of the watch-making company.(imn)