Schoolboys tried for car theft

Schoolboys tried for car theft

JAKARTA (JP): An elementary school boy and two junior high school students came before the Bogor State Court on Wednesday on car theft charges.

The defendants were identified by Antara only by their initials: SD, 13, the elementary school boy, and SZ and TP, both 15. The boys were brought to the courthouse by prosecutor A. Ghozali Hudori.

In Wednesday's trial, presided over by judge Syafrida, the prosecutor said that in December last year the three defendants stole a Toyota Kijang van from the parking lot of the Bogor Plaza shopping center.

He said they took the car to the house of a friend, and then the four traveled to Jakarta in the car.

From Jakarta they allegedly returned to Bogor, with TP taking the stolen car to his house, the prosecutor said.

The father of TP, who gave evidence at the trial, said he himself had reported his son to the police. The boy's father said he had become suspicious after he saw the car parked outside the family home.

The defendants were released on bail after being held in police custody for two days.

"We did it just for fun, because we wanted to drive around on New Year's Eve," TP told reporters outside the court. He said he and his co-defendants had not had any intention of stealing the car.

"We only borrowed it," he said, his remark drawing laughter from people attending the trial.

The judge adjourned the trial until April 19 when the prosecutor is scheduled to address the court on sentencing.(bas)