Bintang's witnesses approved

Bintang's witnesses approved

JAKARTA (JP): The police will allow three Indonesian students
studying in Berlin to testify on the behalf of politician Sri
Bintang Pamungkas, who faces charges of insulting President
Soeharto during his visit to Germany in April.

"Chief Detective of the National Police Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo
said this afternoon that the three students can be included as
witnesses for Bintang's defense in the police investigation
report," R. Dwiyanto Prihartono, a lawyer for Bintang's, told The
Jakarta Post yesterday.

The three students are: Iwan Setiabudi, 23 years old; Ignatius
Iryanto, 33; and Kristianto Hindratmo S., 24. All are students of
the Technische Universiteit in Berlin and were participants at a
seminar held by the German chapter of the Indonesian Students
Association (PPI); The seminar's speaker was Bintang.

Iwan, PPI Berlin's former chairman, was responsible for
recording Bintang's remarks; Iryanto, moderated the seminar
session; and Kristianto was a participant. The students, who
arrived here on July 17, will return to Berlin this week.

Dwiyanto said the students accompanied Bintang on a visit to
the national police headquarters yesterday. According to
Dwiyanto, they were received by Rusdihardjo and the head of the
general crime detective unit Col. Suparman. The students will be
questioned at the detective unit office today.

The accusations against Bintang, since his case surfaced in
April, have varied from taking part in a demonstration against
President Soeharto in Germany, to defaming the name of the
President and the Indonesian government during a protest, to
discrediting the government at a seminar in Germany.

Bintang was removed from the House of Representatives by his
own faction, the United Development Party, in May for allegedly
violating party policies and offending cabinet ministers.

He has also been named as the main suspect in the police
investigation over allegations that a number of Indonesians took
part in anti-Indonesian demonstrations in Germany during the
visit of President Soeharto to that country in April.

Bintang has denied the accusations, saying that he was a
curious, innocent bystander at the protests in Hannover, a German
city visited by Soeharto. Bintang was in Germany taking part in a
number of speaking engagements when the protests occurred.

He rejected accusations that his criticism of the government
amounts to defamation. "Do I slander and degrade the government
if I criticize it in speeches," he has repeatedly asked
reporters.

Meanwhile Hendardi, director for Communication and Special
Programs of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, revealed
yesterday that seven German citizens who took part in a the
demonstrations, have acknowledged their readiness to be witnesses
for Bintang's defense.(imn)