Dead Cigarettes Three Hours Before Kejagung Building Fire, Six Defendants Ask For Release

Attorney General's Building on fire (Photo: Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - Six defendants in the fire case of the Attorney General's Building (Kejagung) through his legal advisory team pleaded with the South Jakarta District Court Judge Panel, acquitted of all lawsuits.

This is conveyed through a memorandum of defense read by the legal team, disagreeing with the prosecutor's demands and the evidence that serves as the basis of the lawsuit.

"The defendant and his legal advisory team expressed objections to the substance of the prosecutor's claim, and disagreed with the conclusion and legal views of the public prosecutor," the defendant's legal team said during a hearing at the South Jakarta District Court, Jakarta, reported antara, Monday, May 10.

Therefore, legal counsel asked a panel of judges, led by judge Elfian, to give free verdicts to the six defendants, because the allegations that they were negligent caused the fire were not proven at trial.

Not only is the verdict free, the legal counsel team also asked the panel of judges to restore the good name and position of the defendants, as well as hand over the costs of the case to the state.

"We leave the fate of the accused to the panel of judges, because only the panel of judges, we believe and believe the panel of judges will give justice (to the accused, Red)," the legal team said while reading the memorandum of defense.

Outside the courtroom, a member of the defendant's legal team, Kurnia Hadi reiterated that there are still many questions regarding the cause of the fire.

"Indeed everything is still unclear, from the evidence then the series of stories, chronology and what is the cause of the building fire is still a question mark," kurnia Hadi said.

On that occasion, he also mentioned that six defendants had also been cooperative during the trial.

"The defendants kept the trial going well, came on time, did not stall, did not convoluted, and gave information honestly and straightforwardly on the fire," kurnia Hadi said.

Meanwhile, co-defendant Uti Abdul Munir, who was sentenced to one year and six months in prison by prosecutors, said he hoped the judge would acquit him and five other defendants of all charges.

"The facts of the trial proved clear that cigarettes were last smoked at half past 4 (in the afternoon), while the fire was at 7 (pm). That is, it is impossible for the cigarette to live approximately three hours," Uti said when met outside the courtroom on Monday.

"We hope to the panel of judges yes we were acquitted, because the prosecution (prosecutor) demanded cigarette evidence, while cigarettes themselves do not prove burning the building," said Uti relayed the expert information during the trial.

In the case of the fire at the Kejagung Building, prosecutors dropped prison sentences of 1-1.6 years against six defendants, which are divided into three dockets.

The six defendants are Uti Abdul Munir, Imam Sudrajat, Sahrul Karim, Karta, Tarno, and Halim.

Uti Abdul Munir was the foreman of the Kejagung Building renovation project; Imam Sudrajat was the worker in charge of putting up wallpaper; Sahrul Karim, Karta, Tarno, and Halim are construction workers.

Five other defendants, outside Uti, were sentenced by prosecutors to one year in prison for their alleged negligence, resulting in the Kejagung Building catching fire.

The South Jakarta PN Magistrates Court scheduled the next hearing for the agenda of reading the prosecutor's response to the defendant's pleidoi or replik will take place on May 24, 2021.