Murder trial of UNHCR staff begins
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court began on Thursday the trial of six prointegration East Timorese for the murder of three United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) staff in Atambua, East Nusa Tenggara in September last year.
The panel of judges, presided over by Anak Agung Gde Dalam, divided the defendants in two separate hearings according to their charges.
In the first hearing, Xisto Pareira, Seratin Ximenes and Joao Martin were accused of violating Article 170 of the Criminal Code on violence that results in death, the lawyer for the six defendants Suhardi Somomoelyono told the Jakarta Post.
The article carries a maximum sentence of 12 years in jail.
Suhardi said prosecutor Pardan Rachim accused his clients of violent conduct that resulted in the death of the three humanitarian workers, namely, Fero Simundza, Carlos de Seros and Samson Aregafoe, on Sept. 6 last year.
The prosecutor said the defendants also burned the bodies of the UNHCR staff.
Pardan also accused the defendants of damaging the UN office located on Jl. Gatot Subroto in Atambua (near the border of East Timor) by throwing stones at the building.
In the second hearing, prosecutor Widodo accused Julius Naesama, Jose Fransisco and Joao Alfred Dacos of violating Article 338 of the Criminal Code by causing the deaths of the three UNHCR staff.
The article carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.
According to Widodo, on Sept. 6, thousands of prointegration East Timorese while carrying the body of their compatriot Olivio Menduza Moruk to the Belu district council compound in East Nusa Tenggara, decided to head instead to the UNHCR office.
Widodo said defendant Julius Naesama rushed into the office and killed two UNHCR' staff, while the other third staff was killed by the other two defendants.
Dozens of East Timorese people living in the capital packed the district court to hear the session on Thursday and they dispersed peacefully after the hearings.
Suhardi said he would prepare defenses for his clients as soon as possible.
The hearings are adjourned until Tuesday.(01)