Eurico put under house arrest by court

JAKARTA (JP): The North Jakarta District Court decided on Monday to change former East Timorese pro-Indonesia leader Eurico Guterres' arrest status from state arrest in Salemba Penitentiary, Central Jakarta, to house arrest.

The defendant's arrest status was changed because he has been cooperative during the trial process and has assured the judges that he will not try to escape, according to the panel of judges presided over by Suwardi.

"From now and on, the defendant will be under house arrest at a house in the Cipayung area in East Jakarta," Suwardi told the hearing.

Eurico, head of the feared Aitarak pro-Jakarta militia, is standing trial on charges of inciting violence and illegal possession of weapons.

According to the indictment, he ordered his followers last Sept. 24 to take back weapons they had surrendered to the Belu Police in East Nusa Tenggara as a part of a disarmament program.

If found guilty, he could face up to five years in jail.

Political deputy of East Nusa Tenggara Regional Development Planning Agency Florensio Mario Parera, 36, testified at the hearing that Eurico and East Timorese pro-Indonesia militia commander John Savares were present at a meeting to discuss a UN resolution which urged the government to disarm militiamen.

The meeting, which took place in Denpasar on Nov. 24, was held by the Office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Social and Security Affairs. Indonesia Military Commander Adm. Widodo A.S, then minister of justice and human rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, home minister Lt. Gen (Ret) Surjadi Sudirdja, then National Police chief Gen. Rusdihardjo, former Udayana Military commander Maj. Gen. Kiki Syahnakrie and former East Nusa Tenggara Police chief John Lalo were also present at the meeting.

He said the militias were aware that they would save the nation from UN sanctions if they surrendered their weapons. East Timorese militia leaders, including Eurico, then coordinated with the Belu Police for the militia's disarmament.

Two other former members of East Timorese pro-Indonesia militia, Marcelino Mateus Perez and A. Latief, also testified at the hearing.

Marcelino and Latief said that Eurico ordered them to surrender weapons to the Belu Military District Command. They said provincial military chief Kiki Syahnakrie observed militiamen surrender five weapons, taken from the police, to the Belu Military District Command.

The hearing was scheduled to hear the testimony of operations assistant to National Police chief Brig. Gen. Sutiyono and former East Nusa Tenggara Police chief John Lalo, but they failed to appear at the court.

The coordinator of Eurico's team of lawyers, Nicolay, told the judges that he would withdraw from the defense team because he was scheduled to testify at the next hearing.

The trial was adjourned until Feb. 22. (01)