Ex-councillor jailed for firecrackers

Ex-councillor jailed for firecrackers

TEGAL, Central Java: Former chief legislator of the local
administration Kosasih, who co-owned a firecracker firm with Edi
Sukamto, has been sentenced to 3.5 years in jail and for last
September's deadly blast that killed 22 people at the company's
factory. Edi received a 5-year sentence.

The convictions against the owners of PT Cahaya Pelangi Abadi
were handed down last week by the Tegal District Court.

Edi said on Tuesday that he and Kosasih would appeal the
verdicts to a local higher court, while adding that the sentences
were too heavy.

The defendants argued that the court issued the verdicts
without considering "positive aspects", in which the firecracker
company was taking care of its workers' welfare.

"We want to seek true justice, so because of that we'll
appeal," Sukamto said.

Prosecutors had previously asked the court for 10 years in
jail for Sukamto and seven for Kosasih, but the judge reduced
those by half.

The defendants were charged with reckless endangerment at the
factory, where nearly half of the workers were killed. --Antara