Rights body doubts arrest of killer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights
\nyesterday said it still doubted that police had caught the killer
\nof Yogyakarta journalist Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin.<\/p>\n
Commission chairman Munawir Sjadzali, speaking to the press
\nhere yesterday, pointed out the confidence that police already
\nexpressed that the person they arrested was the real murderer of
\nthe Bernas daily reporter.<\/p>\n
"Couldn't there be another person?" Munawir said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, police have denied they arbitrarily arrested DS
\nalias Iwik. Yogyakarta police chief Col. Mulyono Sulaiman said in
\nYogyakarta on Wednesday that his officers had followed correct
\nprocedure, including carrying a warrant, when they arrested DS
\nalias Iwik, on Oct. 21.<\/p>\n
Mulyono was responding to the preliminary findings of the
\nrights commission investigation team which claim the arrest
\nviolated the suspect's rights.<\/p>\n
"Considering the nature of the case, I ordered the arrest to
\nbe conducted quietly. That is why Iwik was not arrested at home.
\nIt was done without violence," Mulyono said.<\/p>\n
Police believe Iwik visited Fuad at his home on Aug. 13 and
\nbeat him into a coma. The journalist, known for his critical
\nreporting, died on Aug. 16 without regaining consciousness.<\/p>\n
Iwik was arrested as he was about to board a bus. He was taken
\nto a hotel in the Parangtritis resort south of here and given
\nalcoholic drinks until he passed out.<\/p>\n
He claimed that the people who took him to the resort offered
\nhim a wealth and a better job if he admitted to killing the
\njournalist.<\/p>\n
"It was just one of the police techniques and strategies in
\ninvestigating the case," Mulyono argued.<\/p>\n
The police chief denied planting evidence, including the
\nblood-stained iron bar claimed to be the murder weapon.<\/p>\n
He claimed police began their investigations into the murder
\nwith two possible motives: jealousy of a love affair, and rage
\nengendered by the journalist's writings.<\/p>\n
"We gave up the 'news report' motive, because the evidence
\nled us to the first motive," he said.<\/p>\n
Many people believe Fuad, better known as Udin, was killed
\nbecause of his critical reporting on the allegedly corrupt
\nactivities of a powerful local leader in Bantul regency.<\/p>\n
Mulyono said the police will leave it to the court to decide
\nwhether the suspect is guilty or not.<\/p>\n
"We would be relieved if the court later decides to acquit the
\nsuspect of killing Udin due to jealousy," he said. But police
\nwould continue their investigations into the murder, starting
\nfrom the second possible motive.<\/p>\n
In response to requests from Iwik's lawyers for police to
\nreturn a sample of Udin's blood, police said the blood sample,
\nborrowed from the victim's family, had been used for two
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
In the Javanese tradition of melabuh, police floated a sample
\nof blood out to sea hoping superior forces would lead them to the
\nmurderer.<\/p>\n
The second portion of the blood sample was used in the
\ninvestigation and later thrown away, he said.<\/p>\n
Iwik's lawyers demanded the return of the blood sample for
\nfear police would stain the "evidence". (30\/26)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rights-body-doubts-arrest-of-killer-1447893297",
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