New evidence for Pakpahan appeal

New evidence for Pakpahan appeal

JAKARTA (JP): New evidence will prove that labor leader
Muchtar Pakpahan was not involved in a labor riot in Medan, North
Sumatra, in April 1994, one of his supporters said yesterday

The Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union's secretary-general,
Sunarti, said statements from new witnesses and other new
evidence would be presented next month at a hearing in the East
Jakarta District Court.

The hearing will decide whether Pakpahan's trial and appeals
should be reviewed by the Supreme Court.

Pakpahan, who heads the unrecognized prosperous labor union,
was found guilty in November 1994 of inciting the Medan riot. The
Medan District Court sentenced him to three years imprisonment.
The Medan High Court rejected his appeal and increased the
sentence to four years jail.

Pakpahan was exonerated in September 1995 by a panel of
Supreme Court judges led by Adi Andojo Soetjipto.

Another panel led by former chief justice Soerjono reviewed
the case, annulled Adi's ruling and ordered Pakpahan to complete
the original sentence.

Sunarti said the new evidence included statements from 25 of
the unions branches indicating that they had received letters
from the union's central board ordering branches not to stage any
strikes between March 1994 and Oct. 18, 1994.

She said that in previous hearings Pakpahan had always denied
his involvement in the riot and cited the letters as proof of
this.

The Medan District Court's verdict, which was upheld by both
the Medan High Court and the Supreme Court, stated that the panel
of judges were unsure about the existence of the letters because
no evidence had been presented about branches receiving the
letters.

Sunarti said the hearing, which was due to begin last Monday,
had been adjourned until next month because of Pakpahan's poor
health. (05)