Councilor to be questioned over attack on council

Councilor to be questioned over attack on council

TANGERANG (JP): Local police are to question Tangerang Council
speaker Gian Sugiharsono as the alleged mastermind behind
Monday's attack on the council building, which resulted in two
people, one a councilor, sustaining injuries.

Tangerang Police chief Lt. Col. Pudji Hartanto told reporters
on Friday his office sent a letter on Thursday to West Java
Governor H.R. Nuriana asking his permission to question Gian, a
council member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) faction.

"We'll question Gian immediately after we receive permission
from the governor," the officer added.

Hundreds of people claiming themselves to be local PDI
Perjuangan supporters ran amok during a protest at the building
on Monday. They were demanding the resignation of four PDI
Perjuangan councilors, who they said had betrayed their party
because they had voted for a motion of no confidence against
Gian.

Besides damaging windows and other parts of the council
building, located on busy Jl. Nyimas Melati, the group also beat
councilor and PDI Perjuangan faction chairman Teddy Subrata and
local resident Ahmad Sanusi.

Teddy, one of the four councilors the protesters demanded
resign, suffered wounds to the right of his forehead and received
eight stitches.

Sanusi, who actually took part in the demonstration, was
attacked by other participants after he told reporters that he
and the other people in the crowd were there under the orders of
Gian, who had promised to pay them.

Officer Pudji on Friday did not say whether his men had
adequate evidence showing Gian's alleged role in the attack and
subsequent vandalism.

"We'll see the results of the questioning first," he said.

Police have so far detained four people, all living near
Gian's house in Keroncong village, Jatiuwung.

The four men, identified as Edi, Jayadi, Widodo, and Udin,
admitted to the police they had been ordered to stage a protest
at the council building for which they would be paid between Rp
5,000 and Rp 50,000 each, Pudji said.

The officer, however, did not name who gave the order.

When contacted separately on Friday, Gian said:

"I won't defend myself on the allegation that I was the
mastermind. I simply believe what I have done is correct," he
said.

Previously, police questioned two people, Ukay and Yakup, who
were accused of torturing councilor Teddy during the attack.

However, both were later released due to insufficient
evidence.

Monday's violence was reportedly sparked by Gian's decision to
agree to allow 72 hectares of land in Koang Jaya subdistrict to
be developed for a project to redirect the water from the
Ciliwung and Cisadane rivers without following council
guidelines.

Residents are afraid that the project, intended to make
Jakarta free from flooding, will cause Tangerang to suffer from
flooding.

The decision led the National Mandate Party (PAN), Golkar
Party, PDI Perjuangan, United Development Party (PPP) and Madani
factions to launch a no confidence vote against Gian.

The PAN, Golkar, and PPP factions even demanded Gian resign
from his position as council speaker.

Tangerang residents denounced Monday's vandalism, calling it a
a form of an anarchy. They also demanded the police act swiftly
and strictly against those found guilty of the crime.

The damaged parts of the council building could still be seen
on Friday.

"I don't know when the damage will be repaired because it's
Tangerang's General Affairs Office that holds the budget,"
council secretary Edwan Firman said.

He also said Gian and his three deputy speakers had not been
to their office since the incident took place. (41/nvn)