Jayapura, Jubi – Obby Kogoya’s pretrial court hearing on Tuesday (30/8/2016) at Sleman District Court, Yogyakarta was marred by the presence of four security personnel who stood behind the judge carrying rifles.
Kogoya’s lawyer from LBH Yogyakarta, Emamanuel Gobay, said Wednesday (31/8/2016) two armed personnel were already there when he and Kogoya entered the courtoom, each standing next to the defendant and pleader.
“Then, before the judge came to the courtroom, four mobile brigade officers with long-barreled weapon were stood behind the judge,” said Gobay who then charged objection to the Judge Bagindo Rajoko Harapap before reading the court’s decision.
“We asked the judge to direct the four armed officers to leave the room, as the honor towards the court that must be clean of the arm,” he said.
Then the Judge asked the four officers to leave the courtroom while saying he (the Judge) was earlier examined. “The Judge said he didn’t know about their presence, whether it was the consideration of the court of the police initiative, but surely he didn’t know about it,” Gobay imitating the Judge Bagindo said to him.
For Obby’s lawyer who is indigenous Papuan, the incident of four armed officers was the harassment over the courtroom, “the armed people in the courtroom was the harassment toward the court,” he asserted.
The four mobile brigade officers left the courtroom indeed, but the two provosts were still at their position from the start to the end of the trial. Emanuel Gobay explained the presence of armed personnel at the trial of Obby Kogoya have occurred twice. Besides the recent trial, the trial of evidence on Friday (26/8) was also tainted by the presence of the pleader’s witnesses who take their weapons.
“We had asked the judge to secure their weapons,” said Emanuel. But he also very disappointed with the fact of the strict security procedure inside and outside of the trial, while Obby is only a victim and regular student. Imam Ghazali, reporter for KPM Ekspresi UNY Yogyakarta, who attended the trial also confirmed about this.
“The verdict trial against Obby Kogoya was too exaggerated if must be guarded strictly by armed officers, even they entered the courtroom. This act indicated the officers ignored the applied law in the trial. This act is not suitable with the purpose of the police as the law enforcement but in contrarily violating the law in the trial,” he said through text messange to Jubi on Wednesday afternoon (31/8/2016). Even, he continued, the number of security personnel attended the trial is larger than residents.
Court’s Verdict
LBH Yogyakarta considered the decision of the Judge rejected the pre-trial court of Obby Kogoya and adjusted the police’s act of arrest as the ignorance of the crucial facts. “Whereas during the trial, it was revealed the number of illogical facts in the process of named suspect,” according to LBH Yogyakarta.
The first fact, continued LBH, all the evidences relied upon the police to accuse Obby Kogoya were not obtained in the investigation stage. Then, there are weapons in the courtroom, the Judicial Commission should notice this as the insult against the court. Another fact, the post mortem letter has not a legation as the evidence.
“We asserted once more that Obby Kogoya never conducted the violence against the officers, the named suspect over him was full of manipulation, and during the trial, the police clearly showed their arrogant and racial discrimination,” wrote the statement.
Related to the verdict’s court, Emanuel Gobay would continue is assistance to Obby Kogoya. “He’s still town-prisoner. We have asked the suspension on his arrest with a guarantee that he is a student. If the case was handed to the prosecutor, we would continue the suspension because he is still an active student,” said Gobay.
He also obtained some evidence of video and photographs of the violence perpetrated by officers that would be used for the next advocacy. “This is convicted us, besides some witnesses that they didn’t see Obby do any action. Our witnesses even saw the police who do violence, hitting and beating,” he said.
When asked about the physiological condition of Obby Kogoya who’s now only 20 years old, Gobay said so far he is fine. “I am ready to run this process because basically I am do not do any crime,” said Gobay imitating Obby.(*/rom)
