Roy Suryo's Legal Team Denies Delaying Main Trial, Says Prosecutors Were Absent

Roy Suryo’s camp has denied allegations that the filing of a third pre-trial motion is intended to delay the main trial for alleged defamation related to claims about the diploma of Indonesia’s 7th President, Joko Widodo. The statement was made after the first hearing of Roy Suryo’s third pre-trial motion at the South Jakarta District Court on Wednesday (22/7). The hearing, presided over by sole judge I Ketut Darpawan, was adjourned until Wednesday (29/7) because the co-respondent, the South Jakarta District Prosecutor’s Office, was not present. Roy Suryo’s legal counsel, Refly Harun, stated that his team was ready to proceed with the hearing. However, in accordance with procedural law, the judge must summon the absent party again before the trial can continue. “Today we were ready for trial. Unfortunately, the co-respondent, in this case the South Jakarta District Prosecutor’s Office, did not attend. Because based on procedural law, they must be summoned twice, not just once, the judge adjourned the trial until next week,” said Refly. Refly explained that the facts of today’s hearing show the adjournment did not originate from Roy Suryo’s side, contrary to circulating accusations. “If we are said to be delaying, well, the facts today show that the one delaying is not us. The adjournment occurred one week later due to the absence of the co-respondent, in this case the District Prosecutor’s Office,” he said. He also explained that the third pre-trial motion filed by his client has a different object from the two previous applications, making it legally valid. According to Refly, this application specifically demands compensation after the judge in the first pre-trial declared the search, arrest, and detention of Roy Suryo unlawful. “A pre-trial motion is a right. What is not allowed is repeating the same application because it would be ne bis in idem. But as long as the items of the application are different, it is a right,” he continued. Roy Suryo has filed a pre-trial motion for the third time at the South Jakarta District Court. Unlike the two previous applications which questioned the legality of the legal process, this pre-trial focuses on a claim for compensation for the arrest and detention that was declared unlawful by the judge in the first pre-trial. The first hearing of Roy Suryo’s third pre-trial motion was ultimately adjourned until Wednesday (29/7) after the judge ordered a second summons for the South Jakarta District Prosecutor’s Office as the co-respondent. “The trial is adjourned until 29 July to summon the co-respondent,” said sole judge I Ketut Darpawan in the courtroom. Meanwhile, the main case of alleged defamation regarding the diploma claims of Indonesia’s 7th President Joko Widodo is proceeding as scheduled at the East Jakarta District Court with Roy Suryo’s associate, Dr. Tifa, as the defendant.