Judge examines Yorrys at the crime site

JAKARTA (JP): Judge Ismail Sebayang of the West Jakarta District Court yesterday led the site examination of a storehouse on Jl. Daan Mogot 125, West Jakarta, which was allegedly used as a gambling den by Yorrys Raweyai, an influential figure of a youth organization.

During the examination, presiding judge Ismail heard the affidavits of two police officers, Sgt. Markus and Sgt. Sariyanto, who witnessed the third floor of the storehouse being used as a gambling den.

Sgt. Markus told the judge that on July 29, 8 p.m. he and five other officers were ordered by his superior to make a surveillance of the storehouse before the police took any further action.

Markus said he entered the storehouse by climbing the backyard wall using a portable aluminum ladder which could be lengthened to 15 meters.

Using the ladder, he said, the team watched the activities on the third floor. He placed the ladder on a pile of plywood and started watching the people in the room through a hole near the air condition.

"I could see the room was filled with people, some of them sitting around the table playing cards," he said.

Markus demonstrated how he climbed the ladder, then told the judge after he was positive the people were gambling, he contacted the other officer to proceed with the raid.

The testimony and the demonstration was strongly denied by Yorrys. He said it was impossible to make a surveillance with the ladder because his driver parked the car at the place where Markus said there were a pile of plywood.

"Why don't you just be honest and tell the judge the truth," he said with restrained anger.

Yorrys's statement invoked the anger of Lt. Col. Gories Mere, the commander of the city police investigation department.

"Everybody knows that you are a bookie," he said in a strong tone.

After watching the heated argument between the police and the defendant, judge Ismail continued the examination of the rooms on the second and third floors.

Adjourned

To witness the course of examination, the judge decided to take Abidin, one of seven defendants, to witness the course of the examination.

During the session Judge Ismail was accompanied by Lt. Col. Gories, Lt. Eko Giri Nugroho and Sgt. Suhardiyanto and two of the police officers who raided the gambling den.

On the third floor the judge examined all the rooms, including a bedroom with sauna, massage devices, karaoke sets and the one which was allegedly used for gambling.

The judge then adjourned the trial until Nov. 10 and ordered Yorrys and the other defendants to appear at the courthouse to hear the testimony of the other witnesses.

Yorrys, the day-to-day chairman of Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, along with six other alleged gamblers was apprehended on July 29 for organizing games of chance at the storehouse.

Yorrys was arrested along with the others, but was released on bail shortly afterwards.

The seven defendants are being tried in two separate trials with the same judges and prosecutors. The first group consists of Abidin, Halim Harto and Herman Chandra, who are accused of being the owners of the den.

Yorrys is being tried along with three other alleged gamblers: Sundoro Tan, Budianto and Hadi Mustapa. (mas)