Roy Suryo's Pre-trial Compensation Hearing Postponed Due to Eruption
The pre-trial hearing concerning a compensation claim filed by KMRT Roy Suryo was once again postponed on Monday (7/9). The delay was caused by the sole judge of the South Jakarta District Court (PN), I Ketut Darpawan, who was affected by the eruption and unable to return to Jakarta on time.
Halida Rahardhini, spokesperson for the South Jakarta District Court, explained that the judge concerned was caught in a situation of force majeure. All scheduled flights from the judge’s location had been cancelled since yesterday morning due to the volcanic activity.
“The judge concerned is in a state of force majeure due to the impact of the eruption, which caused all flights to be cancelled since yesterday morning, so he cannot return to Jakarta as scheduled,” Halida said when contacted in Jakarta on Monday (7/9).
I Ketut Darpawan is currently reported to be travelling to Jakarta by land and sea. Halida said this step was taken as a form of the judge’s responsibility to promptly resume the trial under his authority.
The pre-trial application was refiled by Roy Suryo to challenge a compensation petition that was previously declared inadmissible (niet ontvankelijke verklaard) by the same judge. In an earlier hearing, the judge ruled the petition was formally flawed due to a missing party.
In his previous consideration, Judge I Ketut Darpawan stated that the Finance Minister should have been withdrawn as a respondent. This was because the authority legally empowered to make compensation payments is the Finance Minister.
“Considering that with the Finance Minister not being withdrawn as a party, this petition contains a formal defect due to a missing party,” read the judge’s consideration in the earlier ruling.
Roy Suryo subsequently remedied the formal shortcomings and refiled his petition. The continuation of the trial now awaits the physical presence of Judge I Ketut Darpawan at the South Jakarta District Court after completing the multi-modal journey.