The Jakarta Post, February 04, 2003
Christian leader brought to trial over Poso violence
La Remy, The Jakarta Post, Palu, Central Sulawesi
The Palu District Court opened on Monday the trial of the Reverend Reinaldy
Damanik, accused of arms possession in the troubled town of Poso, Central
Sulawesi.
During the one-hour session, which began at 10 a.m., prosecutors charged the
defendant with "controlling, carrying and transporting" firearms and ammunition in
Poso.
Chief prosecutor I Putu Gde Djeladha said the defendant was guilty of violating
Emergency Law No. 12/1951, which carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
The Christian leader is charged with possessing dozens of rifles and hundreds of
rounds of ammunition, which authorities believe were intended for use by Christians in
the prolonged sectarian conflict in Poso.
Djeladha said that last Aug. 17, police found several homemade rifles and bullets in
Damanik's Kijang, which was carrying Damanik and several others from the village of
Paleru in Morowali regency, adjacent to Poso.
The village had just been the target of attack by a group of Muslims.
The prosecutor said Damanik's driver, Sartob -- who is a key witness in the case --
had advised his employer to unload the weapons from the car, but Damanik ignored
the advice.
Djeladha said police also found homemade guns in the two cars that were escorting
Damanik's Kijang from Paleru, where the Christian leader had led an evacuation of
Christian victims of the earlier attack.
"As the coordinator of the Crisis Center and the leader of the evacuation team,
Damanik should be held responsible for all activities he and his team carried out at
that time," Djeladha said.
The defendant has repeatedly disavowed ownership of the weapons, accusing the
police of planting the weapons in his car.
On Monday, Damanik denied all of the charges against him when the panel of judges
asked him how he pled.
The defendant's lawyer, Jhonson Panjaitan, told journalists after the session that the
case against his client was politically motivated and vowed to disprove all the charges
at the next hearing.
Jhonson also questioned why the police did not immediately arrest Damanik when
they allegedly found the rifles and ammunition.
Police have said that attempts to arrest Damanik in Poso were foiled by his followers,
forcing the authorities to summon Damanik to Jakarta for questioning.
The Christian leader complied with the summons on Sept. 11, appearing for
questioning at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta, where he was eventually
arrested.
Damanik is currently being held at the Palu Prosecutor's Office, which twice returned
the defendant's dossier to local police investigators for revisions.
The hearing on Monday, which was presided over by judge Nyoman Sumanada, who
is accompanied on the bench by judges Tahsin and Ferdinandus, was guarded by
more than 50 police officers despite a low turnout in the court.
The trial was adjourned until Feb. 10, at which time the defense will be given the
opportunity to lay out their case.
Damanik was one of the Christian leaders who signed the Malino peace agreement in
December 2001 to end the conflict between Muslims and Christians in Poso, which
claimed the lives of some 2,000 people over three years of violence.
The landmark accord has significantly reduced violence in the area, but sporadic
outbreaks continue to occur.
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