Probation terms for assaulting minister's son

Probation terms for assaulting minister's son

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court yesterday
sentenced the son of the chairman of the powerful Pemuda
Pancasila youth organization to 10 months' probation.

Yedidiah S. K. Soeryosoemarno, 16, the son of Yapto
Soeryosoemarno, who chairs the pro-government youth organization,
was found guilty of assaulting a son of the Minister of Manpower,
Abdul Latief, at the Hard Rock cafe in March last year.

Judge Tuaradja Siregar also sentenced Gahtan Saleh Hilabi, 16,
and Hamad Saleh Hilabi, 17, to 10 months' probation each, for the
same offense.

The judge warned the youths that they would be imprisoned for
six months if they committed a crime within the next 10 months.

Previously, prosecutors James Pardede and Suhaimi had asked
the judge to sentence the three to a year's imprisonment, in view
of the fact that the minister's son, Achmad Dipoditiro, had been
badly injured in the attack.

But the judge, in his judgment, supported his decision to
impose lighter penalties with nine reasons.

"The defendants are young people who had never been involved
in crime before and they come from respectable families," the
judge said, adding that the three were still studying at high
school.

The judge also stated that a term of imprisonment would not
have served the cause of justice in this case because the three
would have mixed with other prisoners, including hard-core
criminals, who might have influenced the youths in such a way
that they might subsequently have committed more serious crimes.

The three defendants and Achmad were involved in a physical
clash on the evening of March 21 at the Hard Rock Cafe at the
Sarinah department store on Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta.

Achmad suffered serious injuries to his nose, eyes and other
parts of his face. He was treated at the Metropolitan Medical
Center, a hospital in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta.

Yedi was accompanied by his mother during the reading of the
verdict by judge Tuaradja. Several relatives of Gahtan and Hamad
were also present. The three were represented by a lawyer from
Hotma Sitompul law firm. (mas)