A wanted former East Timorese militia leader went on trial in Jakarta yesterday charged with inciting criminal activities against the state after allegedly ordering his men to snatch back surrendered weapons.
Wearing army fatigues, a bandana in the red and white colours of the Indonesian national flag, sunglasses and black beret, Mr Eurico Guterres was cheered by supporters as he walked into the North Jakarta district court.
The leader of the feared Aitarak (Thorn) militia, Mr Guterres was arrested at a hotel in Jakarta on October 4th for allegedly ordering his men to snatch back the weapons handed over to police in West Timor during a ceremony in September attended by the Vice-President, Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri. He faces up to six years in jail if convicted. The prosecutor, Mr Anwar Hakim Nasution, also lodged two auxiliary charges against Mr Guterres - trying to forcefully obtain and keep weapons and inciting actions against a public servant. The first auxiliary charge carries up to 10 years in jail and the second one 16 months.
The judge agreed to a demand by Mr Guterres's lawyer to adjourn the hearing for one week.