Indramayu District Court Judge Rejects Panji Gumilang's Exception

The atmosphere of the trial of the defendant Panji Gumilang at the Indramayu District Court, Wednesday (6/12/2023). BETWEEN/Fathnur Rohman.

The panel of judges at the Indramayu District Court (PN), West Java rejected the exception or objection note submitted by the legal advisor Panji Gumilang, the defendant in the alleged criminal act of blasphemy, so that the trial process for the case would continue.

"(The panel of judges) rejects the exception and the examination of the case continues. The trial will continue on December 13, 2023, with the agenda of proof from the public prosecutor," said Indramayu District Court spokesman Adrian Anju Purba as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, December 6.

He said the decision was conveyed by the panel of judges in the trial held this time at the Indramayu District Court.

As for the next trial on December 13, 2023, he said, the public prosecutor was given the opportunity to prove the indictment against Panji Gumilang.

"Yes (the panel of judges) stated that it was unacceptable, refused rather than an exception. The trial was continued with evidence. So the first opportunity was given to the public prosecutor first to prove it," he said.

In the follow-up trial, there will be five witnesses out of a total of 46 people who will be presented, both reporting witnesses and other public witnesses.

Adrian said it was done based on a decision that had been mutually agreed upon in this trial.

"As previously stated in the trial that the agenda for the next trial is because the number of witnesses is 49 people, so next week five witnesses will be examined," he said.

Meanwhile, during the trial, the Chief Justice of the Indramayu District Court, Yogi Dulhadi, explained that the objection note of the defendant Panji Gumilang was not accepted because some of the exception points were considered to have been the subject matter of the case and investigation.

The panel of judges presented the basic reasons for rejecting the exception. One of them is that the objection note is not a formal problem rather than an indictment in accordance with Article 143 paragraph 2 of the Criminal Procedure Code. However, it concerns the subject matter of the case.

Therefore, the panel of judges ruled out or did not grant the exception of the defendant Panji Gumilang.

"The exception referred to regarding the investigation process, in this case according to the panel of judges, is regarding the scope of the pre-trial as referred to in Article 77 of the Criminal Procedure Code. So it must be put aside," said Yogi while leading the trial.

Meanwhile, Dodi Rusmana, one of Panji Gumilang's lawyers, said that his party had prepared witnesses to be presented in the trial process next week.

"Earlier, I explained, colleagues have heard everything that the Chief Justice of the Assembly has conveyed. The point is that the trial is continued. We have prepared witnesses," he said.