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. Rasyid Amrullah Rajasa has repeatedly denied that he was drowsy and exhausted when his BMW X5 rear-ended a Daihatsu Luxio minivan, claiming two lives and injuring three others in an accident on the Jakarta inner-city toll road on New Year’s Day.

Rasyid, the 22-year-old son of Coordinating Economics Minister Hatta Rajasa, said during a hearing of his trial on Thursday that he never told people who were present at the scene that he was drowsy.

“I never said I was drowsy. I just said I would be responsible [for the accident],” the defendant said.

Rasyid’s statement responded to the question of the presiding judge, who once referred to Rasyid as Mas (brother) and who had asked whether he had any objection to the testimony of witness Rangga Ifa Nugroho, 27, one of the motorists who helped him with the victims.

Rangga, whose car was right behind Rasyid’s, said that after helping the victims, he asked the defendant how the accident happened. “I hit a car. Maybe because I was drowsy,” said Rangga, citing Rasyid’s statement to him.

Rasyid also delivered the same objection when minivan driver Frans Jonar Sirait told the court on Monday that Rasyid told him that he was drowsy and would take responsibility for what happened.

Rasyid is charged under Article 310 of the Traffic and Transportation Law on reckless driving resulting in fatalities, with a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a fine of Rp 12 million (US$1,200).

The indictment says that Rasyid, who was allegedly drowsy and exhausted after celebrating New Year’s Eve with friends, drove his car at 100 kilometers per hour (kph) on the toll road, despite the speed limit being between 60 and 80 kph, and rear-ended the minivan that was carrying 11 passengers at a speed of 70 kph.

The prosecutors also presented three police officers and an employee of toll operator PT Jasa Marga at the Thursday hearing.

Rasyid’s lawyer, Riri Purbasari Dewi, said it was impossible for Rasyid to be drowsy at the time of the accident.

“He had just got back from London [where her client is studying] and was suffering jet lag. So, he couldn’t have been drowsy,” she said. — JP/cor