Officer jailed, dismissed in Aceh battery case

BANDA ACEH (JP): Standing at attention, a tearful Maj. Bayu Najib received a military court's verdict of a six-year prison sentence and dismissal from the Armed Forces (ABRI) for battery leading to the death of civilian detainees.

The prison term is two years more than the demand of prosecutor Col. S. Elgin.

In reading the verdict, presiding judge Sri Umi Sularsih said Bayu was guilty of using violence which inflicted injury.

Both Bayu's lawyer Capt. J. Silaban and Elgin said they were considering whether to appeal.

After a tightly guarded session despite the presence of only a few people in the public gallery, Bayu told a media conference he was sorry and asked for forgiveness from the Acehnese.

"Especially the relatives of the victims," he said, fighting to hold back tears.

"I was just looking for my men."

The former commander of North Aceh 113 Jaya Sakti battalion said he did not intend to cause deaths when he confronted dozens of alleged separatist rebels detained at the National Youth Committee building in Lhokseumawe, North Aceh.

The 38 detainees were captured in a military raid after the killing of seven off-duty soldiers and the abduction of two marines in Lhoknibung, North Aceh, in December.

On the night of Jan. 9, Bayu and a group of soldiers from various units took over the makeshift detention center from the authorized guards. They kicked, beat and clubbed the detainees with electric cables and M-16 rifles.

Five detainees (not four as previously reported) died on the spot or later during hospitalization. Dozens of others suffered various injuries.

"The defendant tarnished the Armed Forces image at a time when the military is launching reform," the judge said, according to a D&R newsweekly reporter at the session.

Bayu was tried separately from four other soldiers -- privates Amsir, Manuhun Harahap, Efendi, and a private first class, Manolam Situmorang -- also accused of battery leading to death.

The prosecution has demanded they be sentenced to seven years' imprisonment and be discharged from the Armed Forces. Their trial will resume on Wednesday.

Another 23 soldiers will soon be court-martialled for involvement in the torture and murder.

"Dossiers of the 23 army officers were submitted to the Banda Aceh military tribunal some time ago," Col. Suprapto, spokesman for the Bukit Barisan Regional Military Command, said on Saturday. (swe)