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)