Defense of Yorrys said groundless

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutor Sukardi asked the West Jakarta District Court judge yesterday to ignore the defense statement of Tommy Sihotang, the lawyer hired by Yorrys Raweyai and the three others on trial for gambling, saying that it was completely groundless.

"Your Honor, the defense's statement claiming that my indictment is inaccurate is an age-old cliche typically employed to counter a prosecutor's statement," Sukardi said.

In the previous session, Tommy asked presiding judge Ismail Sebayang to annul the indictment because it contained an inaccurate description of the crime and because it lacked adequate evidence.

Tommy said on Tuesday that he disagreed with the prosecutor's decision to charge Yorrys and the three defendants with violating several laws governing gambling.

"The fact that Yorrys was caught red-handed on July 29 at a gambling den in West Jakarta was not enough to prove, or charge, that he was organizing or making a living from the games," Tommy said last Tuesday.

However, Sukardi said that the defendants used the gambling profits for their personal needs and that was sufficient evidence.

Prosecutor Sukardi, who replaced prosecutor Noor Said, stated that he will support his statement in the next court examination session.

Tommy stated that the case lacked substantial evidence because the money and gambling paraphernalia were confiscated from the defendants personally and also from their premises. Sukardi said that such argumentation was legally incorrect since all evidence was seized legally.

After hearing the prosecutor's statement, judge Ismail adjourned the trial until Oct. 24 to decide whether or not he would accept the prosecutor Sukardi's statement.

Yorrys, the day-to-day chairman of the Golkar-affiliated Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, is being tried along with six other defendants on charges of organizing games of chance and playing rummy and macok at a storehouse at Jl. Daan Mogot 125 in West Jakarta.

Yorrys was arrested along with six other suspects, but was released on bail shortly afterwards.

The defendants are being tried in two separate trials.

Yorrys is being tried along with three other alleged gamblers, Sundoro Tan, Budianto and Hadi Mustapa.

Unlike the previous sessions, Yorrys' wife and dozens of Mobile Brigade officers were absent from the court room but some faithful supporters were still there.(mas)