Prosecution calls final witness in trial for former Calgarian jailed in Jakarta

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman sits on the defendant's chair prior to the start of his trial hearing at South Jakarta District Court in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014. (AP / Tatan Syuflana)

A large group of parents, students and friends attended court on Tuesday to support a former Calgary teacher who is accused of sexually abusing three students at an international school in Indonesia.

Neil Bantleman has been in a Jakarta jail since last July and was arrested along with teaching assistant Ferdinand Tjiong.

Both Bantleman and Tjiong have maintained their innocence and have the support of a number of the school’s teachers and students.

On Tuesday, the prosecution called its final witness in the case.

According to Bantleman’s brother Guy, the prosecution called only nine of the 17 factual witnesses that were listed in the police dossier and six of those were the parents that filed the reports and the alleged child victims.

Guy said in an email to CTV News that only three JIS employees were called as factual witnesses even though at least nine were listed in the dossier.

He says the prosecution also called one witness that was not listed in the official list and that their lawyers have repeatedly requested the prosecution bring forward all of the factual witnesses that were listed in the document.

Bantleman's family says Neil and Ferdinand were only arrested after the parents of one of the alleged child victims failed to reach a financial settlement with the school over alleged abuse by school janitors.

The janitors were sentenced to up to eight years in prison after their separate but related trial.

Bantleman and Tjiong could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

The defence is expected to call its first witness in the case next Tuesday.

(With files from The Canadian Press)