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