Witnesses say teacher killed police officer

JAKARTA (JP): A bajaj driver testified in court on Wednesday that a teacher riding in his three-wheeled transit vehicle stabbed a police major to death in an altercation caused by a traffic accident.

"The defendant, who was my passenger, stabbed the man he was arguing with in the stomach," Sarkam said.

Sarkam told the East Jakarta District Court presided over by Judge Toni Hartono that the defendant stabbed the driver of a white Taft jeep, which pulled over in front of his bajaj after a minor collision on Jl. Wisma Jaya, East Jakarta, in July this year.

The jeep driver was Maj. Noenang Kohar, head of the Pademangan sub-precinct, Central Jakarta.

The witness said that the driver got out of his jeep, rushed up to the bajaj passenger and slapped him in the face.

The bajaj passenger, Baskoni Wahab, a teacher of a private school of economics in Cakung, East Jakarta, is facing trial for murder.

"The defendant then took a knife and stabbed the victim in the stomach," he said.

Noenang died on the way to hospital.

Another witness, Eman said that he also saw a white Taft jeep stop a bajaj on Jl.Wisma Jaya, East Jakarta. He confirmed that the bajaj passenger stabbed the driver of that jeep during an argument.

Noenang's wife, Ida Yulida, the third witness in yesterday's trial, told the court that a police officer told her that her husband had an accident and was being treated at Persahabatan Kita hospital. "I went to the hospital, but he had died," she said.

In another trial, the South Jakarta District Court heard testimony concerning street hoodlums charged with murdering a police officer, Lt. Budi Prasetyo, in Blok M last March.

Witness Zulkifli Namuharuri confirmed that Reza Lawalata and Idris Tuarita, the defendants, were involved in a fight at the Blok M shopping area in South Jakarta. "I saw Reza and Idris throwing stones at a man in a white shirt," he said.

Another witness, Amirsan Liskaloho stated that he saw six men attack two men, later known to be Lt. Budi Prasetyo and Capt. Arman Depari. He declined to specify who he thought stabbed Budi to death.

Arman ran away from the attackers after Budi was stabbed. (29)