Man found guilty in theft of reject sandals

Man found guilty in theft of reject sandals

The Tangerang District Court has sentenced a unionist
to two months and 24 days in prison after declaring him guilty of
stealing a pair of reject sandals from the factory where he used
to work.

The prison term handed down to Hamdani bin Ijin, 25, on Monday
was exactly the same as the time he spent in detention at the
Tangerang Men's Penitentiary pending the completion of his case.

After the trial, about 50 factory workers who attended the
session went to the penitentiary to pick up Hamdani.

However, Hamdani had to spend one more day in jail because of
administrative matters, according to the warden.

Prosecutor Misbah earlier asked the court to sentence Hamdani
to five months in prison for stealing the sandals from the
warehouse of PT Osaga Mas Utama in Tangerang.

Hamdani denied the charges, saying he had no intention of
stealing the sandals or of taking them home.

He claimed to have worn the sandals when he performed wudhu
(ritual ablutions) to purify himself before Friday prayers in the
factory compound.

Hamdani's punishment was heavier than the jail term imposed on
Ari Sigit, the grandson of former president Soeharto, who was
sentenced to two months and 22 days for a more serious crime --
the possession of 70 rounds of live ammunition.

Critics say that unfair verdicts illustrate the reality of the
Indonesian judiciary, where law enforcers often side with those
who have power and discriminate against the less powerful. --JP