Bintang races against police to build defense

Bintang races against police to build defense

JAKARTA (JP): Sri Bintang Pamungkas, the vocal government
critic facing prosecution for allegedly insulting President
Soeharto, is in a race against the police to collect evidence for
his defense.

"If they are looking for witnesses to support their case, I
won't stay quiet. I'll be looking for my own witnesses," Bintang
was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

Police said they have added a former student leader and a
language expert to the list of witnesses who will support their
case against Bintang. They previously questioned a number of
House of Representatives members and brought home three
Indonesian students residing in Germany, all expenses paid for by
the state, to help with their inquiry.

Bintang lost his seat in the House last month when he fell out
of favor with the leaders of his United Development Party.

According to the latest line of investigation, he now stands
accused of insulting President Soeharto during a speech in
Germany on April 9.

Earlier, police suggested that Bintang had taken part in a
demonstration against President Soeharto during the same visit.
So far he is the only suspect in the case although the military
earlier indicated that several Indonesians took part in the
demonstration.

Bintang, who was in Germany for a number of speaking
engagements at the same time as Soeharto, has denied all the
charges.

He said yesterday that he will contact the organizers of the
seminar at Berlin's Technische Universitat to support his defense
if the police go ahead with their prosecution.

Police investigators say they have evidence that Bintang
called Soeharto a "dictator" during his speech in Berlin, where
he discussed the economic development of Indonesia.

The Chief of the National Police Detective Division, Brig.
Gen. Roesdihardjo was quoted as saying by Antara yesterday that
police have sought the opinion of a language expert from the
Ministry of Education and Culture regarding the word "dictator."

The expert confirmed that the word carries a negative
connotation and is pejorative, Roesdihardjo said, without naming
the official.

The General Indonesian Dictionary defines a dictator as a head
of state that has absolute power obtained through force or
undemocratic means, the police officer said.

Roesdihardjo added that the police might seek the testimony of
another Indonesian student who was present at the speech in
Berlin.

He also said that the investigation should be completed by the
middle of July, at which point the case will be transferred to
the government prosecution office.

Bintang early this week denied having ever used the word
dictator in reference to President Soeharto.

"They (police) are making it up," he said as quoted by Antara.

"I have to admit that my way of thinking is very different
from Pak Harto's and that we don't see things eye to eye" he said
referring to the President. "But that doesn't mean I'm at liberty
to call Pak Harto a dictator."

Roesdihardjo meanwhile praised Bintang for his cooperation
throughout the police investigation. "He explained his case well
and was quite cooperative. He's a gentleman. I'm satisfied with
him." (emb)