Two get seven years for murder

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta District Court on Wednesday sentenced two men to serve seven years in prison for beating a man to death.

Presiding judge Suyatno said the two defendants, identified as Sarijan Purnomo, 30, and Hendri Pasaribu, 32 -- along with a third suspect identified as Edi alias Gondrong, 33, who was allegedly shot by police -- were guilty of murdering Udin, 28, on Jl. Sumenep in Menteng on Feb. 8.

Suyatno said based on witnesses' statements and a police dossier the defendants were proven guilty of beating to death the victim, described as a local scavenger.

The defendants decided yesterday to appeal the judge's decision while prosecutor Rudy Yulianto accepted the verdict.

Rudy had earlier asked the court to sentence the defendants to ten years in prison.

The defendants had been charged under Article 170 of the Criminal Code.

According to Sarijan's lawyer, Liston, his client had retracted his statements described in his police dossier. Liston said that Sarijan just signed the dossier to avoid being shot by police.

The lawyer said Hendri, who had refused to be accompanied by a lawyer in the trial, also retracted the statements in his dossier due to the same reason.

They were intimidated, Liston said, after they saw their alleged fellow suspect, Gondrong, shot in the head by police officers in a car at Monas park shortly after they were arrested. (jun)