New Delhi – Defence lawyers of leaders of the Mandalay Division of National League for Democracy have contested the wrong date of their arrest by the prosecution.
The prosecution testified in court and said that the six leaders of the Mandalay Division NLD were arrested in 2008 though they were actually arrested more than a year ago. The defence lawyers today argued in favour of their clients' rights.
"If the court accepts the date of arrest submitted by the prosecution, our clients will get lesser count for judicial remand. So we produced witnesses," advocate Myint Thwin told Mizzima.
"The prosecutors are government gazetted officers and they are acting on behalf of the State. So we would like to see them speaking the truth in court. If they do not speak the truth in court, then they themselves are causing 'disaffection towards the State and government'".
Family members of the accused said that submission of the wrong date of arrest in court was deliberately done by the prosecution and it will create problems for the accused.
Ba Soe and Tin Win Yee , elder brother and younger sister of one of the accused Win Mya Mya, appeared in court with exhibits showing that Mandalay Division NLD organizer Win Mya Mya had been arrested in September 2007.
"We proved Daw Win Mya Mya was arrested in 2007, not 2008, by submitting documents and other exhibits in court and convinced them that we had prison interviews with her 24 times," they said.
The prosecutors had stated in court that Wim Mya Mya and the other defendants were arrested in 2008 when they were formally charged in court on August 22 this year.
The defence lawyer Mya Thwin said that though the case is being tried by the special court, it is a civilian court, so the period of detention must be set-off against the sentence of imprisonment.
Mandalay NLD women's wing in-charge Win Mya Mya (Mandalay Division NLD organization committee member), Kan Tun (Mandalay Division NLD organization committee member), Than Lwin (Mattay constituency MP) are charged under section 506(b) (inducing crime against public tranquility), section 153(a) (imputation, assertion prejudicial to national integration) of the Penal Code.
Mogok Township NLD Organizing Committee member Min Thu, Kyaukpadaung NLD Organizing Committee member Tin Shwe, Meiktila Township NLD (Youth) member Tin Ko Ko are charged under sections 505(b), 153(a), 195(a) (insulting religion), 147 and 152 (unlawful assembly and rioting) of the Penal Code.
It is learnt that the court will pronounce the judgment October 24.
