Snatcher on bus gets 10 months

JAKARTA (JP): A judge at the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced on Monday a 24-year-old man to 10 months in jail for a robbery at a bus last October.

"The defendant, Azhari Akbar, robbed Liliyanti Widjaya, on Oct. 12, as she was sitting on the bus plying the Senen-Cimone route," said judge Chasiyani Tanjung.

"The bus was queuing at the Senen bus terminal in Central Jakarta."

The judge said Azhari, along with a friend identified as Kris, forced the witness to hand over her valuables, including her rings, in the empty bus.

"The witness rejected the defendant's request. But after the defendant pointed a pair of scissors at her and threatened her not to scream for help, the witness gave two gold rings and a wristwatch to the defendant," said the judge.

Judge Chasiyani said the criminals disembarked from the bus after taking the valuable items.

"Soon after the two disembarked from the bus, the witness alerted the crowd by shouting. People at the terminal then captured Azhari, while Kris managed to escape," said the judge. Kris remains at large.

"The defendant has to go to jail, even though he did not enjoy the results of the robbery," the judge said.

The defendant accepted the verdict. (asa)