Victim's family given Rp 5m

JAKARTA (JP): A man on trial for murder gave Rp 5 million (US$ 2,121) to the victim's family during a court session on Wednesday in an attempt to ease his guilt.

"The fact that I actually took someone's life has been haunting me day and night," the suspect, identified only as GS, told The Jakarta Post at the Central Jakarta district court building.

GS, 27, a Malaysian national, is charged with killing a woman, Wati, in a hotel room here on Oct. 16 last year.

GS admitted to committing the murder in a previous court hearing, citing an illness as the cause of his bad temper.

GS said he had intended to apologize to the victim's family from the beginning, but felt he was being tried by the press and that any gesture would be rejected as inappropriate.

"What I go through in this world is nothing compared to what I'll have to endure in the afterlife," he said.

As the team of judges led by M. Dalail watched, GS kissed the hand of Wati's mother, Asiah, after he handed her the money.

M. Dalail said that the defendant's act would not affect the judges' verdict, but would be taken into consideration in terms of severity of sentence.

Asiah, who has been attending the court hearings since the trial started in March, refused to comment.

Prosecutor Muhammad Yusuf will present his final argument and make a sentence demand next Wednesday. (14)