Prosecutor engineering the trial: Defendant
Prosecutor engineering the trial: Defendant
JAKARTA (JP): Eng San alias Hasan, a defendant at a murder trial in North Jakarta District Court, has said that prosecutor Andhi Nirwanto engineered the trial, where Eng San was the main suspect, to make him look guilty.
"The prosecutor has slandered and accused me of doing things I never did. He even accused me of faking my illness, neglecting doctor and hospital certificates which confirmed that I was sick," Eng San said on Monday.
The prosecutor asked the panel of judges earlier to sentence Eng San to 14 years' imprisonment for provoking people to kill Nyo Beng Seng, his business rival.
Eng San said the prosecutor's inability to present Kiki Arianto, one of three witnesses asked by the judges to testify, to give an individual testimony proved the prosecutor was afraid that the truth would be revealed. All three witnesses had already given written testimonies.
"I think the prosecutor was scared that if all three witnesses gave individual testimonies, the trial would not turn out this way," Eng San said.
Earlier this month, presiding judge Bhaedowie had asked prosecutor and defense lawyers -- Sudjono, Teguh Samudera, and Harjono Tjitrosoebono -- to bring in the three witnesses, Kiki Arianto, A Gu, and Hong Lie, to the trial, because their written testimonies were unclear.
The three witnesses were also wanted by police for their involvement in the murder case.
The prosecutor and defense lawyers were unable to present any of their witnesses due to a number of unclear reasons.
The prosecutor said he could not find Kiki, who was believed to be living in Bekasi, while defense lawyers were unable to present Hong Lie and A Gu because the two live in Hong Kong and asked for a one-week postponement to prepare for their return to Indonesia.
Eng San told the court that Kiki and his friend, Leo Kartono, are the ones who planned the murder.
The defendant also asked the panel of judges not to be influenced by the prosecutor's tricks. "In the name of God I deny and curse the sentence request, and I ask the prosecutor not to slander other people without strong evidence."
Eng San also said that he was once told by a certain prosecutor to run away, but as Eng San refused to do so, he was forced to face the current trial.
Agiono and Atok, who were found guilty of murdering Beng Seng last August, are now serving 20-year and 15-year jail terms, respectively, while Tjen Piu, got nine years' imprisonment last October for escorting the two convicts to Nyo Beng Seng's mansion. (03/12)