Three more militiamen to stand trial

Three more militiamen to stand trial

JAKARTA: Central Jakarta District Court is scheduled to
commence the trial of three more East Timor militiamen on Dec. 10
for the murder of a New Zealand peacekeeper in East Timor last
year.

Yohanes Taek, Gabriel Hane Noni and Fabianus Ulu will be tried
separately.

The three of them appeared at the court on Tuesday to testify
in the trial of their colleague, Yakobus Bere, 37, who is facing
a similar charge.

Bere's trial, however, was postponed because the defendant,
who underwent prostate surgery on Oct. 19, had a stomachache.

The defendant's lawyer, Suhardi Somomoeljono, told reporters
that Bere had been sick the day before and was waiting to receive
medical treatment. Suhardi complained that there was no doctor
and no medicine at Salemba Penitentiary, where Bere is being
detained.

"The government should pay more attention to Bere's health.
His illness could endanger his life. What if he dies? What will
other countries say?" said Suhardi, adding that so far lawyers
had covered the costs of Bere's medical treatment.

Bere, and five other militiamen, were accused of shooting Pvt.
Leonard William Manning while the United Nations peacekeeping
force were tracking militiamen in a border area near Suai, East
Timor on July 24, last year.--JP