Edy should be tried in Yogyakarta: LBH

YOGYAKARTA: The Yogyakarta chapter of the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) reiterated its request here on Sunday that Second Adj. Insp. Edy Wuryanto, a police officer accused of destroying evidence in the case of slain reporter Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin alias Udin in 1996, be tried at the Yogyakarta Military Tribunal.

A. Budi Hartono, spokesman for the LBH Yogyakarta, said in a statement that Edy, who had been transferred from Yogyakarta Police headquarters to the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta soon after he allegedly discarded the victim's blood sample, should be tried in Yogyakarta, not in Jakarta.

LBH argued that the Udin's murder and Edy's alleged offense took place in Yogyakarta, before the latter was transferred to Jakarta.

As reported earlier, Edy allegedly took the blood sample from the Bantul public hospital, where the victim was treated after being attacked by two unidentified men in front of his residence in Bantul. The blood was supposed to be examined at the police laboratory.

The attack was believed to be linked to the Bernas daily reporter's articles on the reelection of the Bantul regent, which were spiced with collusion, corruption and nepotistic practices.

Budi said that the National Police Headquarters had been so protective toward Edy that the later was quietly transferred to Jakarta without giving any notice to the Supreme Court.(sur)