Defense of Yorrys said groundless

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)