http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/27/four-key-witnesses-testify-david.html
In an attempt to convince judges that David Hartanto Widjaja, an Indonesian student who died on the campus of Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in Singapore in March did not commit suicide, his family will present four additional key witnesses at a Coroner Court’s inquest in Singapore on May 20-26.
David was found dead in March after allegedly committing suicide at his campus in Singapore, where he was reportedly having difficulties with his studies. According to witnesses, the student died after jumping from a balcony on the university’s campus.
The university said that David was under stress because his grades had dropped due to his addiction to online games and he was in danger of losing his scholarship.
In a statement issued shortly after his death, David was in a meeting at the office of his mentor, Professor Chan Kap Luk, when he went berserk and stabbed his teacher in the back. After this, David left the office, stabbed himself repeatedly, before jumping off the balcony, the university claims.
David’s parents, however, have insisted that their son was murdered, denying he would ever commit suicide and claiming they had evidence to prove it. They will underline the oddities found at the crime scene.
The family and an independent verification team filed the case with the coroner’s court last week and gathered their own witnesses to support their case.
“One of the witnesses is a professor whose office is located next to Chan’s. The professor, named Chang Chong Wah, has said that he thought there was no reason at all for David to commit suicide because he was working on a high profile, PhD calibre project,” the team’s leader, Iwan Piliang, said in Jakarta on Monday.
David was working on a Computer Vision (CV) technology project, mostly applied in the entertainment and military industries, at the time of his death.
“David was a genius and he never complained of any problems with his studies at all. Before he died, we had a regular talks and I did not notice any stress at all from him,” David’s older brother William said.
The team also said that they had found many unexplainable oddities at the crime scene.
For example, even though the NTU statement said that David was the aggressor, Chan had fewer wounds than David.
“Chan had only five wounds on his body while David has 36. Most of them were on his right arm,” Iwan said.
“However, the latter fact does not match the fact that David is right-handed. If it was true he was cutting himself after stabbing Chan, then the wounds should be on his left hand.”
He added that there was no blood at all found near the balcony, which many said that David had climbed prior to jumping.
“David had so many cuts and bled profusely, there should have been blood in the area surrounding the balcony,” Iwan said.
The inquest is a vital part of David’s family’s search for justice to clear his name. If the court rules that David’s death was indeed suicide, the case will be closed. If it suspects foul play, a further investigation will take place.
Inquests are common in the Singaporean judicial system. They have the ability to limit the state’s power in stopping an investigation of a case. (hdt)
--------------------------
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In an attempt to convince judges that David Hartanto Widjaja, an Indonesian student who died on the campus of Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in Singapore in March did not commit suicide, his family will present four additional key witnesses at a Coroner Court’s inquest in Singapore on May 20-26.
David was found dead in March after allegedly committing suicide at his campus in Singapore, where he was reportedly having difficulties with his studies. According to witnesses, the student died after jumping from a balcony on the university’s campus.
The university said that David was under stress because his grades had dropped due to his addiction to online games and he was in danger of losing his scholarship.
In a statement issued shortly after his death, David was in a meeting at the office of his mentor, Professor Chan Kap Luk, when he went berserk and stabbed his teacher in the back. After this, David left the office, stabbed himself repeatedly, before jumping off the balcony, the university claims.
David’s parents, however, have insisted that their son was murdered, denying he would ever commit suicide and claiming they had evidence to prove it. They will underline the oddities found at the crime scene.
The family and an independent verification team filed the case with the coroner’s court last week and gathered their own witnesses to support their case.
“One of the witnesses is a professor whose office is located next to Chan’s. The professor, named Chang Chong Wah, has said that he thought there was no reason at all for David to commit suicide because he was working on a high profile, PhD calibre project,” the team’s leader, Iwan Piliang, said in Jakarta on Monday.
David was working on a Computer Vision (CV) technology project, mostly applied in the entertainment and military industries, at the time of his death.
“David was a genius and he never complained of any problems with his studies at all. Before he died, we had a regular talks and I did not notice any stress at all from him,” David’s older brother William said.
The team also said that they had found many unexplainable oddities at the crime scene.
For example, even though the NTU statement said that David was the aggressor, Chan had fewer wounds than David.
“Chan had only five wounds on his body while David has 36. Most of them were on his right arm,” Iwan said.
“However, the latter fact does not match the fact that David is right-handed. If it was true he was cutting himself after stabbing Chan, then the wounds should be on his left hand.”
He added that there was no blood at all found near the balcony, which many said that David had climbed prior to jumping.
“David had so many cuts and bled profusely, there should have been blood in the area surrounding the balcony,” Iwan said.
The inquest is a vital part of David’s family’s search for justice to clear his name. If the court rules that David’s death was indeed suicide, the case will be closed. If it suspects foul play, a further investigation will take place.
Inquests are common in the Singaporean judicial system. They have the ability to limit the state’s power in stopping an investigation of a case. (hdt)
--------------------------
Latest update at Singapore News Alternative:
1. Singaporean Gets 18 Years in Indonesia Terror Plots
2. Riding Out the Economic Storm in Singapore
3. Four key witnesses to testify for David
4. Weary Singapore is ready for swine flu
5. ‘Opposition’ versus ‘ruling’ party on 2nd May and a simulation for the next General Elections
6. Don't Count Your Recoveries Before They're Hatched
7. Flu and recession a toxic mix for airlines
8. Singapore's Deep Tunnel Sewerage System wins Global Water Award 2009
9. Workers protest against unpaid wages
10. No Swine Flu Cases In Singapore Yet
11. Record fall in Singapore's property price index
12. Singapore 2010 Ramps Up Marketing Campaign
13. Swine flu epidemic enters dangerous new phase
Latest videos added:
1. Economy woes drive up Japan suicides
2. China's secret 'black jails'
.
