Three witnesses in rights trial drop testimony

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.