Four journalists testify

YOGYAKARTA: Four senior journalists testified yesterday before the Bantul district court trying the lawsuit filed by Marsiyem, the widow of murdered journalist Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, against the Yogyakarta police.

The journalists were Masduki Attamimi of Antara news agency, Nurhadi of Kedaulatan Rakyat, Sutirman Eko Wardana from the Yogya Post and Putut Wiryawan, one of Fuad's colleagues at the local Bernas daily.

Marsiyem is suing the police for failing to return to her a sample of her husband's blood.

Police initially said a portion of the blood was floated out to sea in accordance with the Javanese tradition of melabuh, in the hope that divine intervention would help solve the murder. The remainder of the sample was reportedly thrown away.

Much later on, police said that the blood had actually been sent to England for DNA testing.

Marsiyem's lawyers have expressed concern that police might have used the blood to create evidence, by spilling some of it on certain objects, in order to convict suspect Dwi Sumaji.

The four testified that Yogyakarta Police Chief Col. Mulyono Sulaiman confirmed to them on Nov. 6 that the blood had been sent out to sea between Aug. 22 and Aug. 23.

Fuad, better known as Udin, was attacked by unidentified thugs at his home on Aug. 13 at his house in the Bantul regency. He died three days later without regaining consciousness.

Fuad was believed to have been killed because of his critical reporting. His case has drawn wide attention given the suspected links with powerful figures in Yogyakarta.

The court was adjourned to March 10.

Separately yesterday, Yogyakarta Prosecutors' Office returned the dossier on suspect Dwi Sumaji to the police, citing flaws in the document. This was the fourth time the document was returned, all for the same reason. (swe)