Inadequate evidence to try Soemarjono, claim lawyers

Inadequate evidence to try Soemarjono, claim lawyers

SURABAYA (JP): Lawyers for Col. (ret) Soemarjono in their
written rebuttal before the court maintained that there was
insufficient evidence to charge their client for producing and
distributing counterfeit money totaling Rp 4.2 billion.

Lawyer Adang Abdullah, speaking on behalf of the team of
lawyers comprising Widjaja, Burhanuddin and himself, spent 30
minutes reading the rebuttal before the court on Monday and
demanded his client be exonerated.

Quoting article 184 and 185 of the Criminal Code Procedures
(KUHAP), Adang said during the second hearing that the court
needed at least two pieces of evidence to continue the trial of
his client in a fair and just manner.

In the first hearing last Monday, prosecutor Donny Kadnezar
said the defendant and his close associates Hadi Suwito and
Slamet Hardjo violated Article 224 of the Criminal Code on
counterfeit money.

The prosecutor said the defendant deserved a 15-year jail term
for the offense.

Soemarjono was responsible for the distribution and production
of bogus Rp 50,000 notes, the prosecutor said. "The fake notes
were produced at his houses on Jl. Melati in Pesanggrahan, South
Jakarta, and Jl. Bintaro Utama Raya, Tangerang."

Lawyer Adang said all the material evidence made available to
the court was from the witnesses, who were also defendants in
other separate trials. "None of the evidence was from
Soemarjono's hands," Adang said.

"The two boxes containing bogus Rp 50,000 notes bearing former
president Soeharto's picture were confiscated by the police from
a witness' residence in Cakung, Jakarta, on March 15. Another two
bundles of fake notes were seized from another witness' house,"
Adang said.

The lawyer also accused the police of treating his client
improperly during investigation process. "Soemarjono was said to
be a liar after undergoing a lie-detector test. This has damaged
the reputation of our client."

Adang said his client was honorable, as proven by the
conferring of three Satya Lencana Kesetiaan awards for his
loyalty during his 24-year career in the military.

"He also did notable work when he brought the Indonesian
Thomas Cup (badminton) team to win the prestigious trophy in
Kuala Lumpur in May," he said.

The second court hearing was apparently less appealing to
public, judging from the fact that only five visitors and 10
reporters attended the session.

Prosecutor Kadnezar asked the panel of judges for a week to
prepare his reply to the lawyers' rebuttal. (nur/sur)