Prosecutors take hard line on Megawati's supporters
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)