'Floating trial' prepared for criminal offenders in Maluku

'Floating trial' prepared for criminal offenders in Maluku

AMBON, Maluku (JP): Civil emergency administrator Maluku
Governor Saleh Latuconsina said his office was preparing a
"floating trial" for criminal offenders in the conflicts which
have ravaged the islands.

The trials would be held on board a Naval battleship or
civilian vessel guarded by the security forces in a bid to speed
up the law enforcement process in Maluku, Latuconsina told
journalists here on Wednesday.

The ship will be anchored off the Teluk Ambon Baguala waters.

The trial, however, was still awaiting a further deployment of
law enforcers from Jakarta, including judges, police
investigators and prosecutors, the governor said.

"We don't have enough officials to handle the many cases," he
explained.

According to the governor, the trial cannot be held at Ambon
District Court as the venue is located in a restive border area
between two warring camps on Jl. Sultan Airun in Pos Kota
subdistrict.

"Psychologically, it would be very hard for the judges, the
prosecutors and related parties to hold a fair session in a
courtroom that is not free from fear, tension and possible
dispute.

"A floating trial is the best option. At least the possibility
of riots is far less at sea than on land," he added.

According to the Maluku High Court, there are over 200 cases
from this year that are ready to go on trial while hundreds more
are still being processed, involving both civilians and security
personnel.

The cases mostly deal with criminal cases attached to unrest
such as murder, illegal possession of weapons, burglary, looting
as well as assault and battery.

Those currently being detained are in prisons in Piru district
in the western part of Seram island, Saparua and Bandanaira on
Banda island.

Muslim prisoners are pooled in Bandanaira while Christians are
in Piru and Saparua. All three penitentiaries have about 200
prisoners.

"We cannot possibly detain them in Ambon because the
penitentiary in Negri Lama in Baguala district, 14 kilometers
east of Ambon, has been gutted by fire," the governor said.

In another development, a total of 650 personnel from the
405th Infantry Battalion (Yonif) from the Diponegoro Military
Command were pulled out of Maluku and replaced by the 407th
Diponegoro Infantry Batallion on Tuesday.

"From now on, a tight search will be carried out on troops
leaving Maluku. We do not want them to carry unnecessary items,
such as weapons from outside their units or probably looted goods
from the conflicting regions," Pattimura Military Commander Brig.
Gen. I Made Yasa said.

"If they fail to show proper documents relating to such
belongings, they will be detained and prosecuted by Ambon
military police. This is part of the effort to improve the
Indonesian Military's tarnished image in Maluku," Yasa said.
(49/edt)