Testimony given under duress: Dutchman

JAKARTA (JP): Dutchman Christian van den Bosch, who is being tried on charges of distributing illicit drugs, told the court yesterday that he was coerced into making a confession to police.

"I made the testimony under pressure from the police," the 27- year old defendant told presiding judge Djamil Sularso at the Central Jakarta court.

Christian said that he wished to retract the testimony he gave during police questioning because it was made under duress.

The defendant is charged with drug trafficking after he and three companions were arrested at the Hotel Borobudur last February.

Several thousand capsules of the banned drug Eva containing derivat amphetamine were about to be sold by the defendant and his companions to an Indonesian buyer by the name of Irsan at a price of Rp 80,000 (US$37) each.

The deal was foiled by the police who apprehended the defendant and his accomplices and seized the drug from them. Irsan managed to escape during the police raid.

Two of the three accomplices, Steven Bryner and Peter Karajin, were members of the American embassy security staff here who, under diplomatic protocol, have been extradited and are being tried under U.S. law in Guam.

The third, a Dutch of Ambonese descent by the name of Leonard Jacobus, is being tried separately at the Central Jakarta Court.

In his native tongue, which was then translated by the court translator, Christian recounted the events of his arrest and revealed how he was verbally pressured into giving false testimony.

"They told me I could receive a very stiff sentence if I didn't collaborate with them," Christian explained.

Answering questions raised by prosecutor Suriansjah, Christian said he was at the Borobudur hotel to have lunch with his friends.

He further retracted a statement he made to the police admitting that he was smuggling drugs on order from a local female buyer named Nova. If in fact she actually exists, Nova is still at large.

Christian claimed that he knew nothing about the drugs which were presented as evidence.

Yesterday's session ended four weeks of testimony made by several witnesses. The trial is scheduled to resume on June 29 with the prosecution's indictment. (mds)