Yorrys, three other defendants deny police testimony
JAKARTA (JP): Yorrys Raweyai and three other alleged gamblers strongly denied the testimonies of two police officers at West Jakarta District Court yesterday, who said the four halted gambling practices and hid evidence 10 minutes prior to the raid.
"Your Honor, I object to the witnesses' testimony because I was watching the nine o'clock news on television when the police entered the room," said Yorrys, while the three others said they were singing on a Karaoke machine in another room.
The two police officers are Lt. Eko Giri Nugroho and Sgt. Suhardiyanto.
Sgt. Suhardiyanto said the police had placed an undercover officer in the room who gave the signal for the police raid to commence.
Suhardiyanto said that he did not actually see the defendants gambling but is convinced they abruptly stopped playing and hid some of the evidence before the police succeeded in entering the room, which was on the third floor of the building.
"They must have known of our arrival because it took us 10 minutes to force the back door. By the time we entered the room there was just some money and gambling paraphernalia left on the table," said Suhardiyanto.
He added that the raid team did not confiscate all the gambling paraphernalia but did seize some cards and money.
In the court session led by presiding judge Ismail Sebayang, prosecutor Noor Said presented the evidence to the court.
Meanwhile, Lt. Eko, who led the raid, said that the three- story storehouse owned by Abidin had been under surveillance constantly, after having received reports of the place being a gambling den.
Eko also said that shortly after the raid Yorrys admitted to him that he played rummy there.
"The police never use force in their questioning, especially people of that caliber," he said.
Objection
The defendants' lawyer Tommy Sihotang, has objected to the use of the word "caliber" in Eko's statement, saying that it is biased.
Tommy then requested the judge visit the storehouse where Yorrys and the other defendants were apprehended.
Judge Ismail approved the request and set the next hearing for Oct. 3 at the storehouse.
The trial was also attended by around 30 women from the Darussalam Islamic boarding school, a school where Yorrys is on the board of patrons.
Yorrys, the day-to-day chairman of the Golkar-affiliated Pemuda Pancasila youth organization, and six other alleged gamblers were apprehended on July 29 for organizing games of chance at a storehouse on Jl. Daan Mogot, West Jakarta.
Yorrys was arrested along with the others, but was released on bail shortly afterwards.
The seven defendants are being tried in two separate trials with the same judges and prosecutors. The first group consists of Abidin, Halim Harto and Herman Chandra, who are accused of being the owners of the den.
Yorrys is being tried along with three other alleged gamblers: Sundoro Tan, Budianto and Hadi Mustapa.(mas)