Former legislator's trial postponed

JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court postponed yesterday the first hearing of the subversion trial of former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas following a fierce argument between the defendant and the prosecution.

The trial was adjourned until next week after Bintang argued that neither he nor his lawyers had received the prosecution's dossier on him prior to yesterday's hearing.

"How can the court proceed with the reading of the indictment if the prosecutor has not given the dossier to me or my lawyers?" Bintang told the session presided over by Judge Darlan Nasution.

The panel of judges did not object to Bintang's argument because they agreed it was in line with Article 143 of the Criminal Code Procedures.

Bintang also asked the court to replace Prosecutor S.T. Silangit on the grounds that the latter had both acted as the investigating officer and the prosecutor.

He argued that Silangit's "dual position" could result in "a conflict of interest" which could obstruct justice.

Besides, he added, the investigating officer had failed to tell him what he had been charged with during questioning.

"Based on this, I cannot be placed as a defendant because I had not been clearly told what I had been accused of," Bintang said.

Bintang also accused Silangit of mistreating him during questioning. He said Silangit hurled his body against him, as if looking for a fight, and tried to hit him twice.

Silangit strongly denied Bintang's accusation, saying that it was a trick to mislead the court.

"If (the alleged mistreatment) really happened, why didn't he report it to the police earlier?" he said.

Bintang said he already reported the incident to the police. Bintang, who was expelled from the House of Representatives in 1995, is currently serving a 34-month prison term for insulting President Soeharto during a speech in Germany two years ago.

Bintang is also chairman of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) which the government has refused to recognize. (09)