Law enforcers told to tread carefully with foreigners

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

New lawyers representing two foreigners suspected of violating immigration law in war-torn Aceh called on the local police and the prosecutor's office to be cautious in charging their clients.

They said the prosecutors should not arbitrarily throw espionage charges against their two clients because they had clear information that both were in the province for research purposes.

"Material evidence such as maps, notes and laptops were found in the bag of Leslie Jane McCulloch and they were used for research activities," Johnson Panjaitan, one of the four new lawyers, said after a meeting with their clients at Aceh Provincial Police Headquarters in Banda Aceh on Thursday.

The other three were Harry Ponti, Owi Yanto Prihamono and M.S. Prihartono. The four lawyers, all from Jakarta, were hired by the two suspects' families to join forces with local lawyers in representing the pair of women.

McCulloch, a 42-year-old British citizen, and American Joy Lee Sadler, 56, were arrested by the police in Tapak Tuan, West Aceh, for the alleged violation of their tourist visas, an offense that carries a maximum of five-years imprisonment.

The two looked tired and McCulloch complained of a lower back pain when they met with their new lawyers.

The two were declared suspects after being detained for six days and were then moved to provincial police headquarters. McCulloch has complained of police mistreatment, including sexual harassment, following their arrest by soldiers in a village in Tapak Tuan.

The state prosecutor' office has sent back the suspects' case files to the police to be amended as there were strong indications that the two suspects could be charged with espionage.

Johnson and his three other colleagues also met with the chief of the provincial police's detective unit, Adj. Sr. Comr. Surya Darma.

Johnson said that government prosecutors had the authority to use the espionage law against the two foreigners, but they had not enough material evidence to prove the charges.

"The prosecutors should not make misleading statements about our clients as these could worsen the situation in the restive province and affect Indonesia' ties with the suspects' home countries," he warned.

He said he and his team were still studying their clients' case to prepare for their court appearance.

He added they would try to have their clients stand trial in the Banda Aceh District Court, rather than in Meulaboh or Tapak Tuan to avoid new problems.