Hamami named a suspect<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Former Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami
\nNata was formally declared a suspect on Monday in an official
\ninvestigation into the violent takeover of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party (PDI) headquarters in 1996, his lawyer said.<\/p>\n
\"He (Hamami) was questioned today in his capacity as a
\nsuspect,\" lawyer O.C. Kaligis told reporters after accompanying
\nhis client through a nine-hour marathon questioning session at
\nMilitary Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
In spite of his new status, Hamami was not put under arrest.<\/p>\n
He left the building after the questioning by a joint National
\nPolice-Military Police team comprising Col. Handragiri, Col.
\nFarid Ali, Col. Hendraryono, and Supt. Ari Pribadi.<\/p>\n
None of the team members were available to confirm Hamami's
\nnew status.<\/p>\n
Hamami becomes the most senior officer from either the
\nIndonesian Military or the National Police to be named as a
\nsuspect in connection with the July 27, 1996, attack which led to
\na bloody riot in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He was formally charged with the use of force against people
\nand property under Article 170 of the Criminal Code, an offense
\npunishable with up to five years and six months in prison.<\/p>\n
As the chief of the Jakarta Police, Hamami was responsible for
\nthe security of the capital. The present Jakarta governor
\nSutiyoso, who was chief of the Jakarta Military Command in 1996,
\nhas also been questioned but not named a suspect.<\/p>\n
\"I explained to the team what I have done. I said it was my
\nduty as the Jakarta Police chief to uphold security (then),\"
\nHamami told reporters after the questioning.<\/p>\n
Hamami denied, however, that he should bear all the
\nresponsibility for what happened.<\/p>\n
\"There was an instruction from my superior,\" he said. He
\ndeclined to elaborate.<\/p>\n
Kaligis pointed to a high-level meeting two days prior to the
\nattack at the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political
\nand Security Affairs.<\/p>\n
The PDI office at the time was occupied by supporters of the
\nousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri. During the brief
\noccupation, the PDI office on Jl. Diponegoro became the venue for
\na free speech forum, with activist verbally attacking the
\ngovernment of then president Soeharto and his policies.<\/p>\n
On the day in question, a group of supporters of the PDI
\nsplinter faction, backed by elements of the military, attacked
\nand took over the party headquarters. The raid triggered unrest
\nin Central Jakarta which left five dead. (02)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hamami-named-a-suspect-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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