Laskar Jihad commander offers to stop lawsuit<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jammaah commander
\nJa'far Umar Thalib offered on Thursday to revoke his lawsuit
\nagainst the National Police on the condition that they drop the
\nmurder charges against him.<\/p>\n
But the police confirmed later in the day that they would
\npress on with the investigation into Ja'far for allegedly
\ninciting religious hostility and ordering the murder of one of
\nhis followers, who was stoned to death in Maluku for adultery.
\nThe police also said that the suspect was still placed under
\nhouse arrest.<\/p>\n
Ja'far, who sued the police for what he claimed was an illegal
\narrest and detention, told journalists after the hearing at the
\nSouth Jakarta District Court that he would discuss the
\npossibilities with the police.<\/p>\n
Ja'far's lawyer Eggy Sujana said earlier in the hearing: \"We
\nintend to revoke our suit against the police. They had been very
\ncooperative, demonstrated by their converting our client's arrest
\nstatus from house arrest to city arrest. We are confident the
\npolice will drop the charges altogether.\"<\/p>\n
Eggy added that the planned negotiation with the police was
\naimed at avoiding possible further conflicts. He did not
\nelaborate.<\/p>\n
Judge Syamsul Ali adjourned the trial until Friday, when the
\nplaintiff would decide whether or not to revoke the lawsuit.<\/p>\n
The courtroom was packed with dozens of Ja'far's followers,
\nall of them wearing the all-white Muslim garb.<\/p>\n
The court building, situated in the crowded residential and
\nbusiness area of Kemang, was tightly guarded by police, who had
\nalso picked up Ja'far from his brother's house in Bogor.<\/p>\n
Ja'far, leader of a hard-line Muslim group, was arrested by
\nthe police on May 4 at Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, and
\nwas later put under house arrest.<\/p>\n
Later on Thursday, Ja'far and his lawyer met National Police
\nchief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro and the National Police Detective
\nchief, Insp. Gen. Engkesman Hillep.<\/p>\n
\"I and my client spoke with the police chief and told him that
\nwe were ready to revoke our lawsuit against the National Police,
\nover the wrongful arrest of my client, as long as police released
\nmy client from house arrest,\" Eggy Sudjana, told reporters.<\/p>\n
The meeting was quickly played down by National Police top
\nofficials, who said that the discussions held between Ja'far and
\nthe four-star general did not touch the charges against Ja'far.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said that
\nthere would be no negotiations with Ja'far regarding the charges
\nof murder and inciting hatred.<\/p>\n
\"Ja'far has been charged with murder and inciting hatred
\nagainst a religion ... this is a nonnegotiable fact and
\ninvestigations into both these charges will continue,\" Didi told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Didi however said that Ja'far had requested for his house
\narrest status to be lifted, and that police were considering the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
\"We have not made any decisions on his house arrest status. It
\nis still under consideration.\" (bby\/ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/laskar-jihad-commander-offers-to-stop-lawsuit-1447893297",
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