WITNESSES AND REPORTERS ENTERING COURT, INCLUDING WITNESS IN WHEEL CHAIR; PEREZ BEING QUESTIONED; MR YOUNGER SPEAKING - SOUND ON FILM.



TRANSCRIPT



PEREZ: "THE MAN HE WAS THERE, HE WAS ABOUT HALF AN HOUR WAITING, BECAUSE HE TOLD ME ABOUT THREE TIMES IF I WAS SURE KENNEDY WOULD COME THROUGH HERE, I TOLD HIM I DON'T KNOW...."



D.A.: "YOU WERE TALKING TO THE SUSPECT ?"



PEREZ: "I WAS TALKING TO THE SUSPECT, WELL NOT REALLY TALKING, YOU KNOW, HE ASKED ME IF SENATOR KENNEDY WOULD COME THROUGH FROM HERE."



D.A.: "WAS ANYBODY WITH HIM, OR WAS HE..."



PEREZ: "I WAS WITH HIM."



D.A.: "ANYBODY ELSE ?"



PEREZ: "PERHAPS SOMEBODY WAS THERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHO WAS IT."



D.A.: "DID ANYBODY SEEM TO BE WITH HIM, THE SUSPECT ?"



PEREZ: "NO, I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY WITH HIM, HE WAS ALONE."



YOUNGER: "SOME WILL WANT TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY AND OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE LOOK AS BAD AS THEY CAN MAKE IT LOOK. IF SOMEONE STEPS ON THE TOE OF THIS SUSPECT IN THE COURSE OF ARRAIGNMENT OR TRIAL SHOULD THERE BE ONE THAT COULD WELL BE BLOWN INTO A HEADLINE AROUND THE WORLD, SO THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION: YES I CERTAINLY AM UNEASY AND WILL BE."




Initials EH/N-TELE/MR/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: THE HEARING WHICH LED TO THE INDICTMENT OF SIRHAN BISHARA SIRHAN FOR THE ASSASSINATION OF ROBERT F. KENNEDY WAS HELD BEFORE A LOS ANGELES COUNTY GRAND JURY YESTERDAY (FRIDAY). KEY WITNESS JESUS PEREZ, THE KITCHEN HAND AT THE AMBASSADOR HOTEL WHO WAS SHAKING HANDS WITH KENNEDY WHEN THE SHOOTING STARTED, DESCRIBED HOW THE ASSAILANT LAY IN WAIT DURING THE PRECEDING HALF HOUR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY YOUNGER EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN FOR SIRHAN'S SAFETY AND HIS DETERMINATION TO ENSURE A FAIR TRIAL.

THE HEARING, WHICH LASTED HALF AN HOUR, WAS ATTENDED, AMONG OTHERS, BY A YOUNG MAN WHO HAD BEEN WOUNDED IN THE SHOOTING.

PEREZ DESCRIBED HOW SIRHAN HAD BEEN WAITING IN THE HOTEL KITCHEN AND HAD ASKED HIM REPEATEDLY WHETHER SENATOR KENNEDY WOULD EVENTUALLY BE PASSING THROUGH THIS KITCHEN; FROM HIS ANSWERS IT ALSO APPEARS THAT SIRHAN WAS ALONE AND UNACCOMPANIED.

CORRESPONDENT THEN ASKS MR YOUNGER HOW HE FEELS ABOUT PROBLEMS OF ENSURING FAIR TRIAL AND SUSPECT'S SAFETY.