Police, courts mull voice recordings

JAKARTA: The National Police is considering the use of voice recordings in Indonesian courts, a practice currently unrecognized in the country's legal system and one that might see some ground made in the case involving murdered human rights activist Munir Said Thalib.

""Unlike here, where prosecutors must provide at least two (pieces of) evidence in court, prosecutors in other countries can build a case based on only one (piece of) evidence, including (a taped recording),"" National Police chief Gen. Sutanto told detik.com.

""Our Criminal Code does not allow prosecutors to build a case based on one (piece of) evidence.""

The proposal to use taped evidence in court has come in the wake of failing efforts to find the murderer and the mastermind of the Sept. 7, 2004 murder of rights activist Munir Said Thalib -- despite recorded conversations between suspects. JP