Judge upset by student racket

JAKARTA (JP): A presiding judge was angered on Monday by a student commotion at the trial of an Indonesian Christian University (UKI) student charged with kidnapping a police officer.

Judge Samsoedin A.B. reproved defendant Edward Taurus Benyamin Karo-karo, a UKI law school student, for encouraging his supporters to yell in the South Jakarta District Court.

"You are a defendant here. You are not allowed to make a noise. Your problem cannot be solved by yelling," Samsoedin said, before knocking his gavel to open the trial.

He asked Edward's nine lawyers from the Indonesian Student Movement Lawyer Team to remind their client to respect the court.

"Let's just let the trial run smoothly," he said.

Samsoedin rebuked the prosecutors as well for arriving an hour late at the trial, which was scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

"Please come on time next week," he said.

Edward entered the courtroom at about 11 a.m. and yelled in front of dozens of supporters grouped in the City Forum: "Viva students ... Long live students"! His yell was echoed by his supporters before he sat in his chair.

Carrying banners and posters, the supporters held a free speech forum and sang before entering the courtroom.

Monday's session heard the prosecutors' statement and Edward's lawyers' response to the indictment.

Prosecutor M. Purba asked the court to continue the trial despite demands for the defendant's release by the student's lawyers.

Purba said the case against Edward was clear and accurate.

"The lawyers' statement only rejected the content of the indictment, which should be examined in the next session to prove whether it's true or not."

The statement also described student objectives in conducting demonstrations. However, the information was not relevant to the charge, he said.

The team of prosecutors supported student ambitions to improve Indonesia's situation with their demonstrations.

"We admire the students. We hope they will succeed in the future with their struggle helping Indonesian people. But we still demand the court continue the trial," Purba said.

Last week, Edward's lawyers asked the court to drop the indictment, saying the charge was inaccurate and unclear.

"The indictment did not mention clearly where the crime took place," lawyer Pablo Christalo said.

Pablo said Edward did not kidnap a police officer as charged, adding that the defendant in fact saved the officer from being mobbed.

The indictment states that Edward, along with three fellow students, abducted Sgt. Maj. Suratman, who was photographing a student demonstration, on Jl. Gatot Subroto on Nov. 27 last year.

Two of the three students were identified as Rudy Pahala Simatupang and Alex Situmeang. Rudy has been cleared of involvement, while Alex and the unidentified student remain at large.

The defendant and his friends took the victim to the UKI campus in Cawang, East Jakarta at about 8 p.m., according to the indictment.

After tying the victim's hands together and blindfolding him, the defendant then allegedly took Suratman to the Nusantara Economic Institute on Jl. Panjaitan in East Jakarta.

The South Jakarta Police intelligence officer was later dumped on a street in the Cawang area.

The defendant was charged under Article 328 and Article 333 (1) of the Criminal Code, which carry a maximum punishment of 12 years in jail and eight years in jail respectively.

Samsoedin adjourned the trial until next week to decide whether the trial will be discontinued. (jun)