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Abdul had told Najib the two grenades were no longer active and asked Najib to keep them for him.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)