Indictment in riot case inconclusive

JAKARTA (JP): Defense lawyers told Central District Court yesterday that the prosecutor's indictment read last week against defendants in the Tanah Abang riot case was inaccurate.

"On one page the prosecutor said defendants did not damage anything after hearing someone urge people to attack officials. But on another page he said they already assaulted officials before hearing the shout to attack," said Rino Subayo of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, YLBHI.

Rino is one of three defense lawyers representing four defendants charged with inciting a riot on Jan. 27. Several people were wounded and two buildings, including the district office, and seven cars were set on fire.

"The indictment was also inconsistent in the number of cars that were damaged, whether it was one or seven," Rino said.

The riot involved hundreds of street vendors and city public order officials in Tanah Abang on Jan. 27.

The four defendants -- Willem Morgan, 17, Daniel Herman Tanjung, 22, Hadi Subarna, 39, and Erri Suanto, 28 -- were charged under Article 170 of the Penal Code for deliberately using violence toward people and causing damage. (03/12)