Military Prosecutor Ordered to Present 17 Witnesses in Continued Trial of Bank Branch Head Case

The Military Court II-08 in Jakarta has ordered the Military Prosecutor to properly and lawfully present 17 witnesses in the continued hearing of the case involving the alleged kidnapping and murder of a bank branch head in Jakarta. “The hearing will continue with the examination of witnesses. The summons must be carried out properly and lawfully three days in advance. We order the Military Prosecutor to present the witnesses at the hearing on 27 April 2026,” said Presiding Judge Colonel Chk Fredy Ferdian Isnartanto after the reading of the interim decision at the Military Court II-08 in Cakung, East Jakarta, on Wednesday. Fredy stated that the summoning of witnesses must be carried out in accordance with procedural law requirements. He also reminded the Military Prosecutor to ensure the presence of the witnesses at the next hearing to facilitate the proof process in the trial. On that occasion, the Military Prosecutor from the Military Prosecutor’s Office II-07 Jakarta, Major (Chk) Wasinton Marpaung, stated that his side had prepared 17 witnesses to be presented in the hearing. However, most of these witnesses are directly related to another case currently being processed in the general court. “There are 17 witnesses. Around 15 are directly related and all are currently defendants in the District Court. We will coordinate with the prosecutor’s office for their summoning process,” explained Wasinton. To date, his side is still tracing the detention locations of these civilian suspects. Cross-institutional coordination is important to ensure the witnesses’ attendance at the upcoming hearing. In response, the Presiding Judge stated that the responsibility for presenting the witnesses lies entirely with the Military Prosecutor, as previously requested from the court. Fredy also opened the possibility for the legal counsel, defendants, or Prosecutor to present additional witnesses if needed to strengthen the proof. “If it is still felt insufficient to prove the defendants’ guilt, please propose additional witnesses. However, it must be well regulated considering the limited trial time,” said Fredy. The panel of judges also highlighted the limited detention time for the defendants, which will end on 7 June 2026. Therefore, the trial process should be accelerated so that a verdict can be handed down before the detention period expires. “We are running out of time, so this case must be decided before 7 June. We have only a few weeks left, so acceleration is needed, including the witness examination on 27 April,” said Fredy. With the upcoming agenda of witness examination, Fredy hopes the hearing enters a crucial stage in uncovering legal facts and clarifying the construction of the case being tried. The witnesses to be presented come from the case file submitted by the military investigators. Of the total, one is a reporting witness from the police, while the other 16 are from civilian circles. Previously, the Military Court II-08 in Jakarta firmly rejected all objections (exceptions) submitted by the defendants and their legal team in the alleged murder case of a bank branch head in Jakarta. “It is decided to declare the rejection of the objections submitted by the defendants and the defendants’ legal team,” said Fredy. In its decision, the panel of judges stated that the objections submitted were unacceptable and unfounded in law. Thus, the trial process will continue to the next stage. The case costs are temporarily suspended until the final verdict is handed down.