Experts question 'Tempo' case

JAKARTA: The prosecution of two separate criminal cases after a mob attacked the Tempo magazine headquarters was strange, legal experts said on Wednesday.

The two defendants, Hidayat Lukman and David Tjioe, were allegedly part of a mob that attacked the magazine's headquarters after it carried a negative article on businessman Tomy Winata.

"The cases of Hidayat Lukman and David Tjioe should not have been split. Their actions were part of a continuous event, not a separate one. It's not common for prosecutors to split this kind of offense," A.Y. Day, a retired prosecutor, told a public discussion.

A district court here last year later convicted Hidayat but acquitted David of all charges after prosecutors split up their trials.

Sharing Day's view were former Attorney General deputy Antonius Sudjata, legal expert Rudy Satrio Mukantardjo as well as lawyers Ari W. Hartanto and Hidayat Achyar. -- JP