Nessen's trial to begin soon: Police Chief
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.