Three witnesses in rights trial drop testimony
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The landmark human rights tribunal took a new twist on Tuesday when three witnesses who had testified against four military officers and a police officer accused of the 1999 mass killing in Suai, East Timor withdrew their statements.
Former Suai deputy police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Jehezkiel Bere, former subdistrict police chief in Suai Brig. Yoppie Lekatompessy and former chief of the Suai Police operation and control Sgt. Jacobus Tanamal told the court they did not know what they were talking about during questioning at the Attorney General's Office.
But they admitted the questioning did not involve the use of force or intimidation.
"I don't mean to tarnish the trial, but I was under psychological pressure when investigators questioned me over a case that occurred two years ago. I was a bit confused and upset while being questioned," Bere told the court presided over by Judge Cicut Sutiarso.
Lekatompessy said that all his accounts in the dossier did not reflect accurately the real situation in East Timor when the violence took place.
"I was suddenly summoned to appear as a witness by the Attorney General's Office. I was hungry during the questioning," he said.
An identical statement was voiced by Tanamal. "They were not my words ... I didn't say that," he said, referring to his statement.
According to their case files, the witnesses admitted that the installation of the civilian guards, popularly called Kamra, took place at the Suai Military Command compound months before the Aug. 30 self-determination ballot in East Timor.
They also admitted that the East Timor governor, as well as regents, including Herman Sedyono, were in favor of the Kamra to maintain security across the province due to escalation of violence ahead of the referendum.
Upon hearing the witnesses' request for withdrawal of their statements, the panel of judges repeatedly asked the witnesses whether they were serious in giving their testimony.
"This rights court is trying a very serious case," Cicut told the witnesses.
The hearing on Tuesday was part of the ongoing trial of four middle-ranking military officers and one policeman accused of gross human rights violations in an incident in a Suai church, where at least 27 people were killed, including Catholic priests Tarsisius Dewanto, Hilario Madeira and Francisco Soares.
Achmad Syamsuddin, former Covalima regent Col. Herman Sedyono, former Suai military commander Lt. Col. Liliek Koeshadianto, his successor Lt. Col. Sugito and former Suai Police precinct chief Lt. Col. Gatot Subiaktoro are standing trial for violating Articles 7, 9, 37 and 42 of Law No. 26/2000 on human rights. The crimes carry sentences ranging from 10 years to the death penalty.
During the trial, judges and prosecutors asked the witnesses whether they had any knowledge about the civilian guards who had been inducted in a ceremony at the Suai Military Command. The witnesses were also questioned whether they knew the Suai-based pro-Jakarta militia groups named Laksaur and Mahidi.
Judges also asked the witnesses whether they had any knowledge of the burial of the 25 people killed in the attack on the East Timor church.