ABRI chief of general affairs confirms his dismissal

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of general affairs Lt. Gen. Soeyono has confirmed that he had lost his job but denied that this had any connection with his health.

"I have received the Armed Forces Chief's decree and am ready to quit my post," Soeyono told reporters here on Friday night when attending Singapore National Day celebrations at the Singaporean embassy.

ABRI top leaders have so far been tightlipped about who will replace Soeyono.

Antara reported yesterday that the Armed Forces' general affairs are now provisionally being handled by Lt. Gen. Tarub, a former commander of the Army Strategic Reserve (Kostrad).

Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Amir Syarifudin had also declined to comment on the dismissal or the reasons for it.

The decree on Soeyono's dismissal, dated Aug. 8, 1996, was signed by Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung. Soeyono said he received the letter on Friday afternoon.

The decree stipulated that Soeyono would soon be transferred to another senior post at the Armed Forces headquarters.

He said that he had no idea who would replace him.

A 1965 graduate of the Army Academy, Soeyono spent most of his military career at the Army Strategic Reserve Command, known as the green berets corps. He was once President Soeharto's adjutant and is a former Chief of the Diponegoro Regional Military Command, which oversees security in Central Java.

Soeyono declined to say when he would formally be transferred to his new post.

Soeyono denied speculation that his reassignment to the "administrative" post in the armed forces headquarters had any connection with a recent road accident.

Soeyono was reportedly catapulted into a river while riding his motorbike on a tour to North Sulawesi recently. He was reportedly badly injured in his left arm and leg.

"As you can see, I am healthy and can still attend the Singapore National Day Celebration here," he told reporters.

Accompanied by his wife Sribudi Mintorosasi, Soeyono came to the party to bid farewell and to express gratitude for the good cooperation and relationship between the Indonesian and the Singaporean armed forces.

"I am healthy now and until this morning I could still sign official letters," he said.

On Thursday Soeyono visited the headquarters of the Presidential Guard Squad in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, and did some target practice, placing eight of eleven bullets in the central part of the target. (imn)