Men face two years for mobbing

BOGOR (JP): Prosecutor Andi Rachman Asbar asked Bogor District Court to sentence seven people each to two years in jail on Saturday for mobbing an alleged hoodlum to death.

Andi said the dead man, identified as Baban Sobandi, a resident of Warung Menteng village in Cijeruk district, Bogor, was attacked by the seven defendants when they caught him stealing a pager owned by a local resident on Feb. 12.

"During interrogation in front of noted local people, Baban admitted his wrongdoing and agreed to return the pager to its owner," Andi said.

However, as soon as the interrogation ended, he was attacked by the seven defendants, identified as Nanang, 24; Yadi, 23; Kadi, 18; Yudi, 21; Sofyan, 19; Iwan, 21; and Jahri, 22.

Besides being intended to teach the victim a lesson, the attack was conducted because Baban used to steal and extort money from school students and frequently got drunk, he said.

The seven defendants violated Article 170 of the Criminal Code, he added.

The trial was adjourned until Saturday. (24)