TEMPO.CO, Yogyakarta - Hillarius Ngaji Merro, the legal counsel of Marcelinus Bhigu (Marcel), rebutted the testimony of Cebongan trial defendant Second Sgt. Ucok Tigor Simbolon. Ucok testified that he and his fellow soldiers from the Kopassus Group Two went to Yogyakarta to find Marcel. Hillarius said that the statement is "contrived".
"Looking for Marcel how? Marcel had surrendered to the Denpom on the evening of March 20, "Hillarius told Tempo on Wednesday, July 17.
Marcel is accused of abusing First Sgt. Sriyono of the 0734 Yogyakarta Military Command on March 20. Sriyono is a friend of Ucok's and First Sgt.Tri Juwanto. Ucok said that he owed his life to Sriyono after the latter saved him during a duty tour in Aceh in 2001.
In his testimonies, Ucok claimed that he left his training grounds at Mount Lawu to look for Marcel.
However, Ucok said, they met some people near the Yogyakarta University of Technology police station. Those people, Ucok said, saw a convoy of police cars bringing four prisoners convicted of murdering TNI Chief Sergeant Heru Santosa on March 19, 2013 at Hugo's Cafe Sleman. It was then that they went to Cebongan Prison.
The four prisoners were known Hendrik Angel Sahetapy (Deki) and his three friends.
"I met Deki to find out the whereabouts of Marcel. If I had met Marcel, I would have beaten him up," said Ucok on Tuesday's hearing, July 16.
Marcel gave himself up to the Denpom on the evening of March 20. Sgt. Sriyono was abused on March 20 at 14:00 pm. The defendants went to Yogyakarta on the night of March 22, and they shot Deki and his three friends in the early hours of March 23.
PITO AGUSTIN RUDIANA
