BI case not closed: Officer

BI case not closed: Officer

JAKARTA (JP): City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman
vowed on Tuesday that his office would continue investigating the
1997 fire at the new tower of Bank Indonesia, the central bank.

"Police never closed the case and will follow it up,"
Djajoesman told the Jakarta Post after attending the opening
ceremony to mark the nationwide military-sponsored social
activities of health and family planning in Ketapang, Central
Jakarta.

The two-star general, however, refused to elaborate on what
his men had done so far to start the reinvestigation of the two-
year-old case. It is believed the fire was masterminded by
certain parties in an effort to burn important documents and data
on their misdeeds at the building.

Djajoesman only said that the results of the forensic report
carried out by the National Police forensic experts shortly after
the fire revealed that there was no evidence of arson.

"But police will investigate this matter seriously," he said.

The fire on Dec. 8, 1997 killed at least eight people, most of
them construction workers.

The intention to reinvestigate the case became public last
month when National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi disclosed the
fire was suspected arson to reporters.(04)