Prosecution witnesses vindicate defendants

Prosecution witnesses vindicate defendants

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecution witnesses in the subversion trials
against labor leader Muchtar Pakpahan and nine activists of the
Democratic People's Party gave favorable testimonies yesterday.

Judge Djadzuli who presided over Pakpahan's trial at the South
Jakarta District Court began the session with questions aimed at
linking the charges of undermining the government to the speeches
and leaflets Pakpahan allegedly gave and helped produce between
June and July 1996.

Djazuli first asked prosecutor Moekiat how the prosecution was
going to prove its indictment of Pakpahan by presenting Ridwan;
this line of questioning was later protested by the defense
lawyers led by Adnan Buyung Nasution.

Moekiat said Ridwan, also the chairman of the unrecognized
Indonesian People's Council, knew of Pakpahan's activities
between June and July in Jakarta when he allegedly made several
incriminating statements and insulted President Soeharto.

However, when Djadzuli questioned Ridwan about whether he
could tell the court if such "rumors, offending, or abnormal
statements...or those that caused stress" were made by the
defendant, Ridwan said: "No."

Ridwan said he had never heard Pakpahan making the statements
the judge alluded to.

One of Pakpahan's lawyers, Moh. Assegaf, objected to the
judge's line of questioning, accusing him of raising "questions
that could lead the witness to give his opinion".

Assegaf asked the court to proceed and give the prosecutor the
chance to question the witness, suggesting the judge only needed
to ask additional questions.

Djazuli first took the defense lawyer's rebuke silently, but
later told Assegaf off saying the lawyer should "look it up again
to see if the Criminal Code Procedures stipulate that the
prosecutor should question the witness first".

The South Jakarta District Court separately heard yesterday
the subversion trials of four PRD activists - Petrus Hariyanto,
Ken Budha Kusumandaru, Victor Da Costa, and Ignatius Putut
Arintoko.

The trials of PRD chairman Budiman Sudjatmiko and his
colleagues -- Garda Sembiring, Yakobus Eko Kurniawan, Ignatius
Damianus Pranowo, Suroso -- were heard at the Central Jakarta
District Court, some 15 kilometers away.

The Central Jakarta District Court heard four witnesses
against Budiman. One of them, who participated in a June 1996
labor strike reportedly organized by the PRD, testified yesterday
that the activists' involvement actually had a positive effect.

"Our fight (for better welfare) was good," said Basir, one of
the workers at the Kingston crayon company in Tangerang who took
their grievances to the House of Representatives in June 1996.

Basir told the court he saw Budiman during the protest at the
House. "There were activists from the PRD, PPBI and SMID. I saw
Budiman inside..I vaguely remember his face," said Basir.

Basir recounted how at one stage in the workers' dispute with
their employers, the PRD activists told them to refuse to
negotiate unless they were all accepted by the company
management. In addition, the PRD activists urged the workers to
take their complaint to the Ministry of Manpower.

Following negotiations with the employers at the ministry, the
workers had most of their demands met. "Now we even have an
official labor union through which we can channel our
aspirations. We had not demanded it then," said Basir. (08/36)