Nessen's trial to begin soon: Police Chief

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police investigators have wrapped up their investigation on U.S. journalist William Nessen and submitted his dossier to the Banda Aceh prosecutor's office, National Police Chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar says.

"We have submitted the dossier because we want to speed up the legal proceedings against him before deciding whether to deport or jail him," Da'i said after a Cabinet meeting here on Monday.

Da'i did not say when Nessen's dossier was submitted to the prosecutor's office.

Da'i said the trial would take place in Banda Aceh, while at the same time, police would continue the investigation into Nessen's possible connections with the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

"We are still looking into the possibility of a connection, but we have to go on with the trial first," the four-star general said.

Nessen was detained after traveling with GAM soldiers since before the imposition of martial law in the province on May 19.

Da'i said on Monday that Nessen would be charged with visa violations, which carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment, for entering the troubled province without securing permission from the martial law administration in Aceh.

The United States Embassy said earlier that Nessen entered Indonesia on a journalists' visa and he was simply doing his job as a journalist in Aceh.

An official from the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta accompanied Nessen during questioning at the Banda Aceh Police Headquarters.

Nessen's lawyer Amir Syamsuddin said he was pleased about the decision to speed up Nessen's case.

"With the speedy process, we expect that he will only be charged with visa violations and not other charges," Amir told The Jakarta Post.

It was reported earlier that Nessen was also questioned as witness in a case against GAM member Irwandi Jusuf, who was arrested in Jakarta last month.

Amir said he would also monitor the development of Nessen's case to see whether it would be necessary to ask for a suspension of Nessen's detention.

Nessen's mother, Hermine Nessen, who arrived in Jakarta last week, was also granted permission to see her son in Banda Aceh on Tuesday.

The government has closed Aceh to foreigners since the early days of the martial law, citing security reasons.

Foreign journalists have also been restricted and require special permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before covering the events in the province.