Expert testimony delayed in bus trial

Expert testimony delayed in bus trial

JAKARTA (JP): Judge Soemarjono of North Jakarta District Court refused yesterday to hear the testimony of an expert witness in the trial of the driver whose bus plunged into a river in March last year, upholding an objection taken by the defense.

The defendant's lawyer, Sangap Sidauruk, told the judge that Article 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code provided that the testimony of an expert witness could only be heard after the court had heard the testimony of all ordinary witnesses, including that of victims.

"Based on that article, I request that the honorable judge not hear the testimony of Slamet Purnomo, a doctor of Koja Hospital, North Jakarta, in this session," Sangap said.

Prosecutor H.P.W. Soekewi told the judge that the North Jakarta prosecutor's office had tried to summons other witnesses, but had encountered difficulties because their addresses had changed.

Judge Soemarjono upheld the objection and postponed the testimony of the expert witness.

It is alleged that on March 6, last year, Ramses drove a Metro Mini (smaller-sized) bus along Jl. Yos Sudarso in North Jakarta at a speed of between 70 and 90 kilometers per hour. The bus in question was a number P07, which plies the Semper-Senen route.

According to the prosecution case, he continued speeding despite pleas from a number of passengers, who sought to remind him that there were children aboard.

The prosecution claims that Ramses then lost control of the bus which, shortly afterwards, plunged into the Sunter River.

Twenty people died at the scene of the accident, 13 died later in hospital and another 13 were injured.

Ramses, 33, fled the scene of the accident and went into hiding in North Sumatra, his home province. Police arrested him six months later.

Another doctor

Before ruling that the expert witness' evidence be excluded for the time being, the judge had already examined another medical doctor, Hari Sukowihandono of Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital (RSCM), Central Jakarta, as an ordinary witness.

The prosecution says Hari treated Ramses in RSCM's emergency department shortly after the driver fled the accident scene.

Hari told the court he had treated Ramses on March 6, and that the patient had been suffering from wounds to both his arms and to his forehead.

"His wounds were classified as minor injuries but I decided to send him to a neurologist; since Ramses was in a state of unconsciousness during treatment," the doctor said.

He said that some of the wounds had already been bandaged. "Maybe he had already received treatment somewhere else," Hari said.

Hari acknowledged that he had learned from that evening's television's news that there had been a terrible bus accident at the Sunter river, but that he had not realized that the man whom he had treated earlier at the hospital had been the driver.

"I realized that the patient was the driver after the hospital director asked me to make a medical statement for the police," he said, adding that the driver was registered as Ramses Silitonga.

After hearing Hari's testimony, the judge heard evidence from Eduakim Panjaitan, the owner of the bus and Ramses's employer.

Eduakim said that the bus, a 1984 model, was in good condition when Ramses left the depot on the day of the crash.

"I saw Ramses himself check the machine oil, the radiator water, the battery and the brakes. Everything was in order, Your Honor," said Eduakim.

Brake failure

In contrast to this, Ramses had told the court in an earlier sitting that the vehicle's brakes had not been very good, citing the fact that he had had to apply them several times to bring the bus to a halt.

Eduakim said that he had been in church at the time accident occurred.

"I was shocked when my daughter told me that my bus had plunged into the Sunter river and that a lot of people had been killed," he said.

The owner said he realized that Ramses had run away because his body was never found.

He said that Ramses had worked as his driver since January last year, after he had produced a public transportation license and work experience certificates.

The last witness called, a woman named Darsih Daiman, who is one of the 13 crash survivors, said that the driver had been reprimanded by some of the passengers, who had asked him to slow down, but that Ramses had ignored them and continued speeding.

"I was very frightened because the bus was speeding so fast. I heard a lot of passengers screaming and all I can remember is the bus bouncing, then hitting the sidewalk and plunging into the river," Darsih said.

Darsih said that she had been thrown out of the bus into the middle of the polluted river.

"I cannot swim, but I managed to get to the river bank," she said.

Judge Soemarjono adjourned the trial until Feb. 9. (mas)