Police promise to bring case of Irwan to court

Police promise to bring case of Irwan to court

JAKARTA (JP): The police insist they have no plan to close the
case of a driver who lost control of his speeding car and killed
five students on Juraganan road near the Permata Hijau
intersection two months ago.

Major Netson, head of the traffic unit at the South Jakarta
police precinct, said yesterday the police will bring criminal
charges against the driver for negligence, although his parents
have paid compensation to the victims' families as an out of
court settlement.

"I don't care whose son, he or she must be brought to court in
the name of justice. I once brought a son of a former national
police chief to court for a similar case," he said.

The accident took place at around 11:30 a.m. on March 22 in
South Jakarta.

The driver, Irwan Effendi Wirahardjo, was with his girlfriend
Swandawati when his sedan flew onto the sidewalk hitting seven
junior high students, who were walking home.

All of the victims, aged between 12 and 15 years old, were
first-year male students at the nearby Islamic Al-Ikhlas.

Two of the boys were flung 15 meters and over a 2.5 meter
fence onto the grounds of a warehouse. The other five were found
laying on a shallow drain near the sidewalk.

To illustrate the intentions of the police in handling the
case, Netson said, "We're planning to complete the dossiers as
soon as possible and then give them to the prosecutor's office
for trial."

Slow

The police have blamed the slow processing of Irwan's case on
the injuries he sustained in the accident, which they say have
prevented them from questioning the driver.

But sources at the MMC hospital in Kuningan, South Jakarta,
the expensive hospital where Irwan and San-San were treated after
the accident, told The Jakarta Post recently that Irwan and his
girlfriend suffered only minor injuries and that they are fully
recovered.

Major Netson also acknowledged reports that police had not put
Irwan, 21, a son of a batik producer, in detention.

"His father has given a guarantee to us about his son, meaning
that he will take the responsibility if his son escapes," Netson
explained.

Meanwhile City Police spokesman Lt. Col. A. Latief Rabar
expressed surprise about this favor granted to Irwan.

"I have to check the case with the related police unit but by
law, the suspect must be detained," he said. (bsr)