Police asked to testify in controversial murder case

Fri, 10/10/2008 10:53 AM | East Java

Lawyers for a defendant in a controversial murder trial have asked judges to order police to testify over allegedly falsified signatures on their client's dossier.

Sugianto, alias Sugik, is currently standing trial for the murder of Asrori, while two other men are serving jail sentences in Jombang Prison for the same crime.

Defense spokesmen Dhofir made the request to Jombang District Court after Asrori's father, Djalal, and a relative, Marzuki, gave testimonies in court which conflicted with original statements they made to police.

"In fact, the two witnesses gave differing testimonies to the court and to police. Therefore, we request the judges order the police investigators to give their testimonies about what occurred while they interrogated their suspect, and if this testimony was used in the dossier," he told the court.

Dhofir said his team was surprised to learn the two witnesses claimed to have never seen the body recovered from the sugarcane plantation in Bandar Kedungmulyo, which police claim is Asrori's.

"We don't know whether the two witnesses' signatures, or their testimonies, were false because according to the dossier, they really saw the body," Dhofir said.

Despite strong protest from lawyers and legal experts, the trial continued with Asrori as the murder victim and Sugik and two others as the defendants.

Alleged serial killer Very Idham Henyansyah, alias Ryan, has admitted killing Asrori and burying the body in his parents' backyard. According to DNA tests conducted by the provincial police, the body recovered on the sugarcane plantation was that of Fauzin Suyanto.

During the court session, the two witnesses said they had not signed the dossier made by police and forgot testimonies they originally gave to the authorities.

Dhofir said his team would ask the provincial police chief to allow investigators to testify in court to prove the wrongful arrested of their client. -- JP/Indra Harsaputra

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