Prosecutors seek death penalty for murder suspects

JAKARTA (JP): Prosecutors told a court here yesterday that they are sticking with their indictment against a murder suspect and their demand for the death penalty.

Before the East Jakarta district court, prosecutor Agung Dipo refuted the defendants' and their lawyers' defense, and reiterated his team's indictment against suspect Philipus Kia Ledjab.

"It is the defendant's right to retract his statements. When the suspect was handed over to prosecutor, he admitted that he, his wife, and the children had murdered Rohadi's wife and children," Agung said, referring to Philipus' statements in previous court hearings.

During the court hearings, Agung added, Philipus had repeatedly been asked whether his statements filed in the police reports were his own and that they were given without pressure.

"To these questions, the suspect agreed," he added.

The Prosecutors' rebuttal of fact distortions was prominent throughout their 13-page reply to lawyers.

Prosecutors accused Philipus' defense lawyers of intentionally leaving out several witnesses' testimonies and citing invalid references in identifying victims' blood types. In addition, the lawyers were accused of making an erroneous legal-based claim when they said there had been no witnesses when evidence was confiscated.

Prosecutors also explained that the suspect admitted to returning home through a back road, the very same path discovered by dog tracking team.

They also rebutted the lawyers' statement that the victims had been killed with long machetes (klewang), as post mortem reports revealed that the crime could have also been committed using other sharp weapons.

A woman and her three children were brutally murdered at their home in the Bambu Apus subdistrict of East Jakarta on Oct. 2, 1995.

Five suspects, including Philipus' wife, Suparmi, and three other minors have been tried in separate court hearings.

At the May 6 hearing, prosecutors had demanded death sentences for Philipus and Suparmi, and 18-year prison terms for each of the minors.

Responding to Philipus' self-defense, Agung said that the suspect's retraction of his own previous police report is invalid, especially when he merely said that the report is inadmissible evidence.

The hearing has been adjourned until next Thursday, when Philipus' and his lawyers' defense will be heard. (14)