Witnesses defy court summons

BANDA ACEH, Aceh: The district court trying the case of the 1996 Gurita ferry accident suspects has threatened to force six people to testify after they defied two summonses.

The judges ordered prosecutor Jumiran to seek the arrest of the six witnesses to testify against one of the accused, a 37- year-old official of Malahayati port.

"We don't care how the prosecutor finds the witnesses. We want to see them and the accused appear in court as scheduled," presiding judge Rapotan Harapan was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday.

Ulun Fardis, an official from the Aceh transportation office, testified yesterday. He had defied his first summons but appeared after receiving a second.

The six witnesses facing arrest for defying two summonses are all former employees of the Aceh transport office.

Almost 300 people died when the Gurita sank in January 1996. (pan)