South Korean faces one year imprisonment

South Korean faces one year imprisonment

JAKARTA (JP): A prosecutor at the West Jakarta District Court
demanded a one-year jail sentence for a construction
superintendent.

Defendant Byung Woo Lee, 38, was found guilty of neglect which
led to the death of three workers and the injury of five others
on March 22 last year.

Prosecutor Sidik Latuconsina said the South Korean, deputy
general manager and superintendent at PT Hanbo Bumi Karsa, was
responsible for the collapse of part of the 500-ton Grogol ramp
and overpass in West Jakarta.

The project's contractors were Hanbo General Contractors and
PT Bumi Karsa, along with Indonesian and Japanese consultants and
supervisors.

The defendant, Latuconsina said, "violated articles 359 and
360 of the Criminal Code" which carries a maximum sentence of
five years' imprisonment.

Latuconsina said Byung deserved the sentence because "his
carelessness cost lives", he said.

But he added that the defendant was polite and was not
directly involved in the incident.

The sentence request in yesterday's session finally took place
after being delayed 15 times.

Among reasons for delays were the defendant's illness, which
lawyers said was a stroke and, more recently, shock. The absence
of a translator and the prosecutor's absence were other reasons.

During yesterday's hearing, the defendant kept his head bent.
When the prosecutor finished his request, the defendant looked
upset and almost cried.

He repeatedly massaged his forehead.

According to the prosecutor, at 7:00 a.m. on March 22, workers
started to remove cross bars supporting the structure of the
semi-constructed overpass. At around 8:00 a.m. part of the ramp
and overpass collapsed.

The defendant was not the one who ordered the removal of the
cross bars, Latuconsina said.

However, "the fact that Byung did not know about it or who
ordered it shows his lack of responsibility on the job," he said.

The trial was adjourned until July 3 to hear the defense. (12)