Eurico under house arrest in E. Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): The North Jakarta Prosecutors' Office transferred on Tuesday former East Timorese pro-Indonesia militia leader Eurico Guterres from state detention in Salemba penitentiary, Central Jakarta, to a house in East Jakarta where he will remain under house arrest.

Eurico's lawyer Suhardi Somomoeljono told The Jakarta Post that Eurico, escorted by a number of police officers and officials from the prosecutor's office, left the penitentiary for his house in the Cipayung district at about 10 a.m.

The North Jakarta District Court granted on Tuesday the appeal by Eurico's lawyer requesting that the head of the feared Aitarak pro-Jakarta militia be placed under house arrest as he had been cooperative during the trial process and has assured the judges that he will not try to escape.

Eurico is on trial on charges of inciting violence and illegal possession of weapons. He is accused of having ordered his followers last Sept. 24 to take back weapons they had surrendered to the police in East Nusa Tenggara as a part of a disarmament program. Suhardi said that Eurico still had followers in Jakarta and in East Nusa Tenggara. "It will be easier for him to coordinate with them from the house," he said.

He said his client lived in a two-story rented house with five bedrooms. Two police officers and two prosecution officials have been assigned to guard the house, he said.

Eurico will be accompanied by about 10 friends at the house, pending the arrival of Eurico's wife and three children from Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara.

He is allowed to receive visits at anytime as long as the visitors announce their identities and fill in the guest book.

Eurico, who is not allowed to leave the house during his detention, will remain there until the court decides whether or not he is guilty.(01)