Prosecutors take hard line on Megawati's supporters

JAKARTA (JP): Government prosecutors urged the Central Jakarta District Court yesterday to continue the trials of 64 people accused of assault during the July 27 riots.

The prosecutors said the government had a strong legal case against the defendants, because four people, including two police officers, were injured as a direct result of their actions.

Prosecutor Yusita L. Mantir, who was handling one of the five group trials yesterday, identified the victims as Dedy Suntani, Nur Cahyono, both civilians, and I Made Wiranata and Edi Sularso, both police second sergeants.

"Dedy sustained a one centimeter cut on his right cheek, Nur lost two front teeth, Wiranata's knee was injured and Edi had a swollen nose," Yusita told the court.

The 64 defendants, all supporters of ousted Indonesian Democratic Party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, are being tried in five groups: two groups of 12 defendants, one group of 11, one group of 15 and one group of 14.

The defense lawyers in their rebuttal last week asked that the cases be dismissed, saying that none of the defendants were accompanied by their lawyers during their interrogation which contravenes Criminal Code Procedures.

This was denied by the prosecutors yesterday.

Yusita said the defendants had waived their rights to be accompanied by their lawyers, and they had all signed statements to that effect.

Some of the defendants challenged Yusita's claim. They said they had signed the prepared text after police investigators had promised they would be released.

The 64 defendants are among 124 being tried in connection with the July 27 riots. They were arrested after the takeover of the PDI headquarters in Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

One of the trials ended in commotion yesterday with the defendants accusing the court of prejudice.

"The trial is unfair," one of them said.

"It's a sell out," another said.

"If you are not content, you may as well kill us now," another shouted.

Their lawyers urged the court to place the defendants under city arrest, so that they could return to work and make a living.

The trials yesterday only heard the prosecutors' cases. The trials were adjourned until next Wednesday. (16)