Press warned on coverage of Marsinah's case<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The military warned the local media yesterday
\nnot to make too many assumptions when reporting the police
\ninvestigation of the murder of labor activist Marsinah.<\/p>\n
\"In reporting Marsinah's case, Indonesian journalists must not
\nmake assumptions that could affect the ongoing investigation,\"
\nArmed Forces (ABRI) chief spokesman Brig. Gen. Suwarno Adiwidjoyo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Their reports could even derail the investigation, he said
\nafter attending the opening ceremony of the ASEAN police meeting
\nin Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Everyone should be patient and leave the matter of finding the
\nreal killers to the police, he added.<\/p>\n
His remarks came amidst suggestions from legal experts that
\nthe police expand their investigation into the realm of the Armed
\nForces, whom many believe were involved in the murder two years
\nago.<\/p>\n
Police reopened the Marsinah case this month after the Supreme
\nCourt exonerated the nine main defendants who had been found
\nguilty by the lower courts in East Java.<\/p>\n
Marsinah's brutally mutilated body was found in May 1993 only
\na few days after she led a workers strike at the watchmaking
\ncompany where she worked. The nine convicted were all executives
\nand security guards at the company, which is based in Sidoarjo,
\nEast Java.<\/p>\n
Brig. Gen. Suwarno said the military has not received any
\nreports suggesting that any of its members were involved in the
\nmurder.<\/p>\n
\"Where did that information come from?\" he asked reporters.
\n\"You don't know that for sure. Let's not make such assumptions.\"<\/p>\n
He pointed out that so far no ABRI officer has been questioned
\nby police in connection with the murder investigation.<\/p>\n
The Brawijaya Military Command which oversees security in East
\nJava province is currently in the process of trying to restore
\nthe name an officer who was convicted in connection with the
\nmurder.<\/p>\n
The officer, an Army captain, was found guilty by the military
\ntribunal last year for failing to report a meeting to his
\nsuperiors that purportedly discussed the murder plot. He served
\nhis nine-month jail term and never appealed the sentence. But
\nwith the nine main defendants now exonerated, his superiors say
\nhe should be acquitted too.<\/p>\n
On a separate occasion, Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo, the chief
\nnational police detective, said that the reopened investigation
\nwill focus more on finding \"material evidence\".<\/p>\n
\"Finding the suspects comes later,\" he told reporters.<\/p>\n
\"We're starting from the beginning. That's what re-
\ninvestigation is all about.\"<\/p>\n
Rusdihardjo explained that police have established two teams
\nfor the investigation: One will try to determine the weaknesses
\nof the previous investigation that led to the acquittals of nine
\ndefendants. The other will be looking at new suspects. (yud\/emb)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/press-warned-on-coverage-of-marsinahs-case-1447893297",
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