Murder trial of Iwik continues in Yogyakarta

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A witness in the murder trial of Dwi Sumaji alias Iwik testified yesterday that police made him "persuade" another witness, Tri Sumaryani, into admitting that she had a love affair with the slain journalist, Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin alias Udin.

The first witness, a male by the name of Sri Kuncoro alias Kuncung, is an official of Udin's village, Patalan, in Bantul, some 15 kilometers south of here. The second witness is a neighbor of Fuad, a journalist of Bernas daily.

Kuncung made the revelation before the Yogyakarta District Court when he was cross-examined by Triyandi Mulkan, a lawyer for the defendant.

Kuncung said in the court session presided over by Judge Endang Sri Murwati that an officer at Bantul Police precinct, Edy Wuryanto, made him visit Tri Sumaryani and persuade her to admit having a love affair with the journalist.

Udin was beaten up by either a man or a group of unidentified men on August 13 at his home in Bantul. He died three days later in a Yogyakarta hospital without regaining consciousness.

Following his death, speculation grew that the journalist was murdered because of his critical writing on many local government policies. Some said Udin's death was brought about by his writings that offended a very powerful figure in the region, but police insisted that Iwik killed Udin out of jealousy over a love affair.

The investigation into the case has been fraught with irregularities, including in the way police arrested Iwik and in how a police officer dumped a sample of Udin's blood into the sea.

Udin's wife, Marsiyem, who was also a main witness, testified in a previous session that Iwik was not the man who attacked her husband.

The team of lawyers for Iwik told the court that the witnesses gave statements that contradicted each other, and requested that the judge cross-examine them further "just in case they've been 'contaminated'".

Kuncung admitted in a previous session that he rode a motorcycle on the night of Aug. 13 and was stopped by three women who pleaded for help for Udin who had just been attacked.

Two of the women said they never asked Kuncung to stop or help Udin, while the third witness said they did. (23)