Trial of suspected E. Java killers to start this week

Trial of suspected E. Java killers to start this week

SURABAYA (JP): East Java chief prosecutor Adenan Kasian said
on Monday that trials would begin this week of people suspected
of involvement in various murders in at least 11 of the
provinces' regencies over the past months.

Speaking after a roll call of the East Java Provincial Police,
Adenan said his office had prepared dossiers on 54 of 157
suspects and submitted them to the court.

"Fifty-two dossiers were submitted to the Banyuwangi District
Court and two others to the Bangil and Pasuruan district courts.
Six of the dossiers have been declared complete and trials will
immediately commence," he said.

He acknowledged that the public was impatient to see legal
sanctions imposed on perpetrators.

Nearly 200 people have fallen victim in the killing spree.
Most were suspected of practicing black magic while others were
suspected of being the mysterious killers, including three police
officers on Saturday and Sunday. The murderers of the first group
have been dubbed "ninjas" after their black outfits and stealth.
Their victims have mostly been Moslem clerics.

When asked about the mastermind of the murder spree, Adenan
said quickly: "Please, wait and see." He said his office was
focusing its investigation on the legal process of the case and
had yet to probe nonlegal factors behind the murders.

Meanwhile, East Java Police chief Maj. Gen. M. Dayat called on
the government to honor the three police detectives who were
killed in Bangkalan, Madura, by an angry mob who suspected them
of being "ninja-killers."

"We suggest they be awarded with the title Bhayangkara Heroes
and posthumously promoted from second sergeants to chief
sergeants," Dayat said, adding that the police would also pay
compensation to the officers' families.

The three victims were Second Sgt. Yunus A. Parembong, Second
Sgt. Hadiri and Second Sgt. Hadiri. The incident occurred when
MS, a man wanted in connection with receiving stolen goods,
attempted to evade capture by shouting that he was being chased
by "ninjas", referring to five detectives who were nearing MS'
house in Kajuana village. They had a suspected motorcycle thief,
AL, with them.

Hearing the shout, residents surrounded the detectives and
started beating them. Yunus was beaten to death on the spot while
his four colleagues escaped. But the following day villagers
found Dahiri and Dahlan and beat them to death.

Dayat said that both AL and MS were involved in the murder
spree and that police, in cooperation with villagers, would work
hard until they were captured.

Four police squads from Bangkalan and Surabaya have been
deployed to search for and capture the two.

Dayat also regretted the incident, saying residents should
have handed over the suspected killers to the police.

On Monday the village was still tense following the murdering
of the officers.

In Central Java alone eight people have been killed by angry
residents. In contrast to victims of other mob killings,
provincial police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said the eight were
actual "ninjas" suspected of intimidating clerics and Koranic
teachers. However, he confirmed that most victims were those with
mental disorders, killed when they were search for food in
villages. (rms/har/nur)