Brothers seek legal aid in grenade case

Brothers seek legal aid in grenade case

JAKARTA (JP): A team of lawyers from the Foundation of the
Indonesian Legal Aid Institute (YLBHI) will represent two
brothers under police suspicion of illegally possessing grenades,
the foundation spokesman said yesterday.

Dadang Trisasongko said Najib Umar, the owner of a house on
Jl. Cililitan Kecil, East Jakarta and his brother, Abdul Aziz
Umar Madhie, sought legal help after police found a grenade
allegedly belonging to Abdul in Najib's house.

Two of the lawyers who will represent the men are Adnan Buyung
Nasution and Bambang Widjojanto, known for their perseverance in
defending human rights.

"Najib asked YLBHI to accompany him during questioning by
police and Abdul's wife also wanted the lawyers to represent
Abdul," Dadang said yesterday.

On Feb. 9, police confiscated a grenade from a cupboard in
Najib's house following the arrest of Abdul at his own house in
Cisarua, Bogor, West Java, and his subsequent confession to the
whereabouts of the grenade.

Police have so far detained three men -- Abdul, 31, Saleh
Abdulah, 37, and David bin Poniman, 32 -- for illegally
possessing three grenades.

Dadang said Najib confessed he had seen two grenades in
Abdul's house early last year and had warned his brother of the
risk of keeping the explosives.

"According to Abdul the grenades, given to him by his friend
who is a member of the Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad),
would be used for catching fish. Abdul's neighbors also knew he
kept grenades in his house," Dadang said.

Inactive

Abdul had told Najib the two grenades were no longer active
and asked Najib to keep them for him. Najib rejected his
brother's request but, without permission, Abdul hid one of the
grenades in Najib's house on Jan. 31.

Dadang said Najib had found by chance the grenade in one of
the cupboards on Feb. 2, but delayed returning it to Abdul due to
his tight schedule.

Najib has not seen Abdul since he was detained on Feb. 9,
Dadang said.

"Najib said six people had tried to see him at his house while
he was out, but had left a message with his wife asking him to go
to the City Police for questioning," he said.

Three of them went to his house on Feb. 13 and another three,
claiming to be police detectives, five days later.

Dadang said Najib, who was accompanied by his wife Fauziah,
was so worried about being a witness he asked YLBHI for help.

"We plan to accompany Najib and Eka Sartika, Abdul's wife, to
see Abdul at the City Police detention some time this week,"
Dadang said. (04)