Yorrys' friends withdraw their statements

JAKARTA (JP): Two more witnesses in the trial of seven defendants charged with organizing a gambling den in cooperation with Yorrys Raweyai retracted their preliminary statements.

The two witnesses, Linda Budianto, the wife of defendant Budianto, and Bok Tjin Lin, one of the seven defendants, were arrested along with 12 other people on July 29 at the storehouse on Jl. Daan Mogot 125, West Jakarta. The place is alleged to have been used as a gambling den by its owner, Abidin.

Bok testified that he signed the police statement without even reading it.

"I signed the statement saying that gambling was going on when the police raided Abidin's storehouse because I wanted to speed up the questioning," he said.

Bok admitted that he did not even read the contents of the preliminary statement before he signed it. He also said the police did not force him to sign it.

Linda said that she also signed the statement because she did not want to stay in police custody any longer.

In the statement Linda said that she and her husband, Budianto, were invited by Abidin to come to the storehouse. She then saw Budianto, Yorris and the other people gambling.

Yesterday Linda retracted the statement and told the judge she did not see anyone gambling.

"I did not see anyone gambling there. I was singing with my husband and other people on a karaoke player. I saw Yorrys sleeping on the couch," she said.

The police team raided Abidin's storehouse on July 29 at 9.30 p.m. after two police officers witnessed gambling on the third floor.

Sgt. Markus, one of the two witnessing officers, earlier told the judge that on July 29 at 8 p.m. he and five other officers were ordered by his superior to raid the storehouse.

Markus said he entered the storehouse by using a portable aluminum ladder to climb the back wall. From the vantage point of the ladder he could see the room filled with people, some of whom were sitting around a table playing cards.

In the previous court session Abidin also retracted the preliminary statement he made to police.

Prosecutor Noor Said said there is a possibility that Linda, Bok and Abidin could be charged with committing perjury.

According to the Criminal Code, a person giving false evidence can face a maximum imprisonment of seven years.

During yesterday's court session Yorrys said Linda and Bok told the truth.

The police released seven of the people apprehended in July, four of whom were women including Linda, because they were not gambling when the police raided the house. The other seven, including Yorrys, are being tried in separate trials. (mas)