Bintang to bring own witnesses to police
Bintang to bring own witnesses to police
JAKARTA (JP): Former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas,
currently under police investigation for allegedly insulting
President Soeharto, hopes to defend himself with his own
witnesses from Germany.
Iwan Setiabudi, Ignatius Irianto and Kristianto, all
Indonesian students in Berlin and participants in a seminar
featuring Bintang as the speaker, have agreed to testify in favor
of the outspoken politician.
The students, who arrived here on July 17 and will fly back to
Berlin this week, will go with Bintang to the Police Headquarters
this afternoon to ask that their version of the story be heard.
Iwan organized the seminar in Germany and took minutes, while
Irianto and Kristianto took turns presiding over the discussion.
Bintang told The Jakarta Post yesterday that a group of
Indonesians in Berlin paid for the students' trip.
"Many people chipped in to pay for their fares, and the
students came on their own because they are willing to be my
witnesses," he said.
Bintang was accused of being involved in at least one
demonstration against President Soeharto when the latter visited
the Germany city of Hannover last April.
Bintang, who was then a legislator from the Moslem-based
United Development Party (PPP), denied all charges and said he
was in town to address a number of seminars.
After questioning more than 10 witnesses, police submitted
their dossiers on the outspoken politician earlier this month to
the Prosecutor's Office.
Police, however, have so far abstained from questioning
Bintang's witnesses. National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman said
that their decision did not violate the Criminal Code.
Bintang insists he has the right to present witnesses in his
defense and has asked that the three students be heard.
He told the Post that he had attempted to convince police
several times to question the witnesses. His most recent attempt
may have bore fruit when Chief Detective of the National Police
Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo reportedly agreed to have the students
questioned either today or tomorrow.
"I'm afraid the police will refuse to hear from them, despite
the fact that it's my right to have defense witnesses, and that
it's their duty to question them," Bintang said.
"But if they refuse to examine my witnesses, then that means
they are violating the law," he said.
He pointed out that time is a constraint: Irianto, a physics
student, must fly back to Berlin on Wednesday.
Bintang was dismissed earlier this year by the House faction
of the PPP for allegedly going against the party's policies and
for offending a number of cabinet ministers.
Bintang lodged a complaint with the National Commission on
Human Rights in April, protesting the travel and speaking bans
slapped on him by the government and the terror to which he and
his family have been subjected. (swe)