Trial on Eurico over East Timor mayhem starts
Trial on Eurico over East Timor mayhem starts
JAKARTA (JP): The trial of East Timor prointegration militia
leader Eurico Guterres got underway at the North Jakarta District
Court on Tuesday.
The defendant is alleged to have encouraged his followers to
take back firearms they had turned over to the police.
Chief prosecutor Hamka Minhadj accused Eurico of violating
Article 1, Paragraph 1 and Article 55, Paragraph 1 of the
Criminal Code, and Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on the illegal
possession of weapons.
"The defendant ordered his men to take back weapons they had
surrendered to the Belu Police in East Nusa Tenggara during a
weapons disarmament ceremony which was attended by Vice President
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Sept. 24, 2000," Hamka read from the
indictment during the hearing presided over by judge Suwardi.
The disarmament of militias was part of Jakarta's response to
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1319 on disarming and
disbanding East Timorese prointegration fighters following an
attack in Atambua district on Sept. 6 which left three UN aid
workers dead.
According to the investigation of the Sept. 24 incident,
Eurico came to the police station to attend the disarmament
ceremony, but was asked to speak with the East Nusa Tenggara
Police chief and the operations assistant to the National Police
chief in the office of the Belu Police intelligence chief.
When the conversation finished, the defendant discovered that
the ceremony had ended.
The prosecutor said Eurico became furious because he wanted to
preside over the ceremony. "He then ordered his men to take back
their surrendered weapons."
The men succeeded in retrieving 15 of 19 weapons laid out on a
desk in the police station, despite being ordered to surrender
the weapons by officer Deni Mardani.
Hamka said Eurico also could be charged with Article 160 of
the Criminal Code for instigating a crime against the government,
and Article 212 of the Criminal Code for refusing to obey an
officer.
Attired in a military fatigues and a red-and-white scarf,
Eurico responded to the prosecutor's charges by saying he
understood only part of the indictment.
The hearing, which began at 10:30 a.m. and ended 35 minutes
later, was emotionally charged, with dozens of Eurico supporters
from the Front for a United Indonesia interrupting the session
with chants of "Long Live Eurico".
Upon the completion of the hearing, Eurico was escorted out of
the tightly guarded courtroom by his supporters.
"I'm an Indonesian citizen ... why should I go back to East
Timor?" the 27-year-old father of three told journalists.
Thousands of East Timorese have taken refuge in the
neighboring province of East Nusa Tenggara following the UN-
sponsored direct ballot on Aug. 30, 1999. Many have expressed
their desire and intention to return to their homes.
Eurico is currently being detained at Salemba Penitentiary in
Central Jakarta.
Eurico's lawyer Suhardi Somomoeljono attempted to postpone the
trial by objecting to the venue, saying it would be difficult for
him to present defense witnesses, most of whom reside in East
Nusa Tenggara.
"Who will pay for the 10 witnesses to travel (to Jakarta) to
testify for the defendant? This must first be made clear before
the indictment is read," he said before the hearing began.
The panel of judges, however, rejected Suhardi's objection,
saying the matter would be considered when the court prepared to
call witnesses.
Suhardi later told journalists he had submitted a letter to
the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights asking the government to
pay to fly the witnesses to Jakarta and house them.
Judge Suwardi adjourned the hearing until next week, when the
court will hear a statement from the defense. (bby)