Officer gets light sentence for student's murder

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

Banda Aceh District Court on Saturday sentenced Second Brig. Aspardi bin Rusdi to five years in prison for shooting a student to death last year.

The sentence was lighter than the seven-year sentence requested by the prosecutors for the defendant, who they charged with the murder of Syiah Kuala University student Muhammad Iqbal.

Aspardi shot Iqbal in the head from close range following a minor traffic incident between them on the street of Banda Aceh in July 2002. The police, who was off-duty, asked Iqbal to stop but the student ignored the call and Aspardi gave chase on his own motorcycle and shot him.

Witnesses said the policeman was enraged as the student sideswiped his motorbike, causing a scratch.

In their verdict, the panel of judges said Aspardi was convicted of violating article 338 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.

Presiding judge Syafaruddin said Aspardi was handed a lighter sentence as witnesses told the court that the officer had fulfilled the standard procedures of firing warning shots three times before aiming at Iqbal.

The verdict sparked anger from Iqbal's family, who said that the defendant deserved the maximum sentence.

Aspardi, a father of two children, apologized for the incident, which he claimed as an accident. "I am so sorry, I did not do it on purpose," he told the court.

Through his lawyer Zuhri Hasibuan, Aspardi appealed the verdict on the grounds that he had followed the standard procedures and it was his negligence that caused Iqbal to die.

Zuhri said his client was aiming at Iqbal's foot but he missed the target as he opened fire on a motorcycle.

Iqbal's uncle, Sabki, said some witnesses saw Iqbal stopped his motorcycle after hearing the warning shots, but Aspardi continued to shoot him.

"However, the witnesses were afraid to testify against the police," he said.