Seven tried for fatal attack

Seven tried for fatal attack

JAKARTA: State prosecutors asked the Central Jakarta District
Court on Tuesday to sentence three defendants to 18 months in
jail each and give four others two-year jail terms each for
allegedly killing a civilian guard during a riot in August last
year.

The riot followed a raid against becak (pedicabs) in Roxy and
Grogol, West Jakarta.

Sahadi, a becak driver, and six unemployed men -- Zulkarnaen,
Rudiyanto, Suprapto, Sigit Pramonohadi, Ari Kurniawan and Edi
Supriyadi -- are accused of causing Matsani's death.

Matsani was in a team of city public order officers that
cracked down on becak drivers after the city administration,
backed by the police, declared war against them.

The administration insisted on ridding the city of becak in
accordance with City Bylaw No. 11/1988, which bans them from
operating in the capital.

Governor Sutiyoso had announced in 1998 that becak drivers
would be allowed to resume operating in the capital to help them
cope with the economic crisis, but he withdrew his statement the
following day.--JP