Trisakti tragedy focuses on Brimob

Trisakti tragedy focuses on Brimob

JAKARTA: Nine low-level Mobile Brigade (Brimob) policemen are
facing possible jail time and dismissal from the National Police
for allegedly shooting students at Trisakti University three
years ago, which claimed four lives and injured six others.

The sentence requested by Prosecutor Lt. Col. Taufikurrahman
on Thursday at the Jakarta Military Court was reported to be a
maximum of three years in jail.

The defendants are First. Insp. Erick Kadir Sully, First Brig.
Raul da Costa, First Adj. Brig. Suparwanto, First Brig. Joko
Irwanto, First Brig. Teddy Iskandar, First Brig. Anang Yuliarto,
First Brig. Cahyo Nugroho, First Adj. Brig. Langgeng Sugiarto and
First Adj. Brig. Santoso.

According to the prosecutor, the defendants shot the students
during a demonstration near the university in West Jakarta on May
12, 1998 allegedly without orders from their commanding officers.

The demonstrations demanding president Soeharto's resignation
led to the anti-Chinese riots and looting as well as political
upheaval throughout the country. --JP