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Thousands of Papuans oppose Labora's sentence
Around 1,500 people congregated on Monday on the streets of Rufei district, Sorong, West Papua, demanding that the state prosecutorâs office abandon its efforts to send former police officer Labora Sitorus to prison and calling for the establishment of an independent team to carry out a thorough investigation into the case
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round 1,500 people congregated on Monday on the streets of Rufei district, Sorong, West Papua, demanding that the state prosecutor's office abandon its efforts to send former police officer Labora Sitorus to prison and calling for the establishment of an independent team to carry out a thorough investigation into the case.
The Supreme Court recently increased Labora's sentence to 15 years in prison and a Rp 5 billion fine, far heavier than the two years and Rp 500 million fine initially handed down by the Sorong District Court, when Labora was found guilty of money laundering, illegal logging and fuel hoarding.
'The Labora case is full of engineering and he has been never questioned by the police. He should not be jailed because has been a victim of a political engineering,' demonstration coordinator Freddy Fakdawer said in Jakarta on Monday.
Demonstrators, comprising employees of Sitorus' plywood company PT Rotua and local residents who had frequently received financial assistance from Labora, called on the Sorong legislative council to play the role of mediator in the case by bringing the matter to the President so that an independent team could be set up to investigate the case.
Labora has been included on a list of the most-wanted fugitives in West Papua since he was found not to be in the Sorong Prison when the Sorong state prosecutor wanted to execute the Supreme Court's sentence.
He has also repeatedly denied escaping and said he was principally ready to be put behind bars but he did not believe he was guilty and wanted his case to be investigated again because he had been victimized.
Labora was allowed to leave prison for medical treatment in March, 2014 and the Supreme Court made its decision on the case on Sept. 17, 2014.
Sorong chief prosecutor Damrah Muin said that his side had several times given a clear explanation to Labora and he himself declined to accept the court verdict because he did not believe he was guilty.
Damrah said he would deploy a persuasive approach to ensure the convict served his jail sentence.
Witness and Victim Protection Agency head Abdul Haris Semendawai said in Jakarta on Monday that his agency would provide protection to Labora, provided the latter named all those involved in his case.
'Labora should be cooperative in revealing his case and complying with the law if he wants to be protected in revealing all those involved in the money laundering, fuel hoarding and illegal logging,' he said, adding that Labora had the right to ask the Supreme Court to reopen his case if he had new evidence. (novum)(rms)(++++)
