SURINAME -- Military court in Suriname on Friday rejected a request from the former dictator Desi Bouterse to ban the media from coverage of his murder trial.
The ex-Army commander is still in the process of being tried for his December 1982 murder of fifteen of his political opponents in the (then) military headquarters of Fort Zeelandia. Amoung those killed were four journalists. His attourney Irwin Kanhai on Friday, July 25th, 2008 requested that all of the press present in the courtroom were thrown out. The military court had suspended his trial indefinitley because the defense questioned the impartiality of the head judge, Cynthia Valstein-Montnor. In the ruling on Friday, the court argued that the request was unfounded and the defense couldn't find sufficient evidence.
The star witness of the prosecution Onno Flohr (47), an ex-soldier claimed in his statement in court that Bouterse was present in the office at Fort Zeelandia when at least five victims were killed. According to him (as a member of the firing squad), before the captives were executed, they were arranged before Bouterse to hear their verdict. The order to shot was given by Paul Bhagwandas, the then 3rd highest officer in the National Army. He fired at least twleve of his twenty-two rounds. He and fifteen other low-ranking soldiers were ordered to kill two of the victims. After the victims had been killed, one of the accused had emptied his firearm in to the corpses. If he is convicted, Bouterse faces up to twenty years in prison.
Bouterse seized power in February 1980 in a military coup and then lead the government until 1987. As chairman of the countries' biggest political party, NDP, although he is still in opposition, he's still a "political powerhouse".
--Indigo
The ex-Army commander is still in the process of being tried for his December 1982 murder of fifteen of his political opponents in the (then) military headquarters of Fort Zeelandia. Amoung those killed were four journalists. His attourney Irwin Kanhai on Friday, July 25th, 2008 requested that all of the press present in the courtroom were thrown out. The military court had suspended his trial indefinitley because the defense questioned the impartiality of the head judge, Cynthia Valstein-Montnor. In the ruling on Friday, the court argued that the request was unfounded and the defense couldn't find sufficient evidence.
The star witness of the prosecution Onno Flohr (47), an ex-soldier claimed in his statement in court that Bouterse was present in the office at Fort Zeelandia when at least five victims were killed. According to him (as a member of the firing squad), before the captives were executed, they were arranged before Bouterse to hear their verdict. The order to shot was given by Paul Bhagwandas, the then 3rd highest officer in the National Army. He fired at least twleve of his twenty-two rounds. He and fifteen other low-ranking soldiers were ordered to kill two of the victims. After the victims had been killed, one of the accused had emptied his firearm in to the corpses. If he is convicted, Bouterse faces up to twenty years in prison.
Bouterse seized power in February 1980 in a military coup and then lead the government until 1987. As chairman of the countries' biggest political party, NDP, although he is still in opposition, he's still a "political powerhouse".
--Indigo
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