Three people testify in Kramatdjati Bus trial

BOGOR, West Java (JP): Three people taking the witness stand at the trial of a Kramatdjati bus driver charged with murder told the Bogor District Court on Monday that the driver had been negligent when driving.

Ade Sofyan bin Jubaidi, the bus conductor, told the court presided over by Usman Wahab that the bus began to veer to the left at high speed as it entered Cibubur, East Jakarta.

The bus was heading for Bandung from the Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East Jakarta when the fatal accident which claimed the lives of 31 people, took place on the Jagorawi toll road on March 23.

"I told the defendant to be more careful driving," the conductor said, adding that he was unaware of the traffic as he was busy collecting fares from passengers.

"Before I finished counting the money I felt the bus shaking and swerving to the left. The next thing I remember, I had been thrown out of the bus and was sprawled on the ground with a broken leg," he said. "I wanted to open the bus door to help the panicking passengers out but I couldn't do that."

Ade Sofyan, the second witness, attracted a small crowd who listened anxiously to his animated testimony. Sofyan said, "I wanted to get some sleep but the bus was speeding and swerving, making sleep impossible".

The witness said the bus was zigzagging uncontrollably at high speed. "The next thing I knew, I heard a crash and the bus came to an abrupt stop".

When asked by the judge if the driver behave strangely during the trip, Ade Sofyan confirmed that the driver did seem to be acting strange. "At the toll booth, the driver drove into the wrong lane," he said.

The survivor claimed to escape the flames by stepping on other passengers stuck at the rear door and slipping through it. "As soon as I stepped out, the door closed, there was a big explosion and I lost consciousness," he said.

Unlike the first two witnesses, R. Muluk Darmayana, another passenger who also survived the accident, gave his testimony in a soft spoken manner. He said he felt the bus zigzag several times. However, he said he didn't give it much thought because he believed that the bus was just passing other vehicles. "I didn't pay much attention to the road because I was reading," he added.

Muluk said the bus stalled several times when leaving the terminal.

Prosecutor Razali Hanafi accused the driver, identified only as Ag. bin Yakob, of deliberately causing the deaths of 31 people, mostly his passengers, and serious injuring others.

According to the indictment, the defendant had taken barbiturates before driving.

The court was adjourned until tomorrow when it will hear more witnesses. (21/25)