Tempo trial to resume today

Tempo trial to resume today

JAKARTA: The Central Jakarta District Court is scheduled to hear
charges to be laid down by prosecutors on Monday against the
defendant, Teddy Uban, in the case of the attack against Tempo
magazine journalists.

The trial will be presided over by judge Sunaryo.

Sunaryo said Teddy had revoked his statement made in his case
file where he admitted to throwing a wooden object at one of the
journalists, Ahmad Taufik.

"I never touched or threw a wooden tissue box," the defendant
was quoted as saying, adding that he did not know who pelted
Taufik with the box.

However, Teddy did admit that the box was laying on the table
in front of him inside the Tempo office on Jl. Proklamasi,
Central Jakarta.

"The tissue box was quite heavy. So if I threw it, the effect
would be different because the distance between me and Ahmad
Taufik was around 1.5 meters," he added, in an apparent reference
to the relatively minor injury incurred by Taufik.

Also in the case file, Teddy was accused of making offensive
remarks against Taufik and other Tempo journalists. However, the
defendant also denied those charges.

Teddy is on trial as he was the leader of a violent
demonstration at the Tempo office on March 8, involving
supporters of businessman Tomy Winata.

The attack was in protest against a Tempo's article that
alleged that Tomy could have been partly responsible for the
devastating fire at the Tanah Abang textile market. --Antara