Detained suspects grilled over Setya's role: Lawyers

JAKARTA (JP): Lawyers representing Rusli Surjadi, one of the suspects in the Rp 546 billion (US$68.25 million) Bank Bali scandal, insisted on Monday that their client be released or at least be granted house-arrest status.

Lawyers Trimedya Panjaitan and Petrus Selestinus guaranteed that Rusli, a former Bank Bali director, would remain cooperative with the police's ongoing investigation if he was released.

"The police should either release Rusli or put him under house-arrest.

"We, Rusli's lawyers, guarantee that he will not run away, or tamper with evidence," Trimedya said at the National Police headquarters.

Bank Bali's former board of directors -- Rudy Ramli, Firman Soetjahja, Henri Kurniawan and Rusli Suryadi -- and businessman Djoko S. Chandra of PT Era Giat Prima (EGP) were detained last Wednesday, pending further police investigations.

Trimedya said the police had inadequate grounds to continue detaining Rusli.

"It's ludicrous. Since their detainment, none of the five suspects have been questioned later than 7:00 p.m or 8:00 p.m. So, it's nonsense when the police say that the suspects are needed for the purposes of intensive interrogation," he said.

Trimedya said he, and other members of Rusli's team of lawyers sent an official letter to National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi last Friday, seeking the possibility of obtaining Rusli's release from detention.

Setya Novanto, an EGP executive and ruling Golkar Party legislator, was also detained last Wednesday but released at midnight on the same day, on the grounds that his status as a People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) legislator prohibited the police from detaining him without the President's written permission.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar said on Monday that the written requests for house-arrest were still being studied by National Police chief Gen. Roesmanhadi.

"I understand that Rudy's health is suffering. We are waiting for his family doctor to examine him and then consult with our police doctor," Togar told reporters.

On Friday, he said that all five suspects should be released in 20 days.

In a related development, nearly 500 employees of Bank Bali gathered in a peaceful, orderly protest in front of the National Police headquarters on Monday morning.

Mostly demanding that the police "tell the truth", the protesters sang songs and expressed their concern and support for Rudy, and handed purple-colored orchid bouquets to police officers.

The protesters came from different cities, including Jakarta, Bali, Lampung in Sumatra, Malang and Surabaya in East Java and Purwokerto and Semarang in Central Java.

Dressed in formal white shirts and black pants or skirts, they cleaned up their trash after the protest, including empty plastic cups and water bottles, which had been dropped outside the headquarters.

Meanwhile, model Adjie Massaid and his singer wife Reza, arrived at the headquarters in the afternoon to express their concern for Rudy.

"I have seen on TV how many people have gathered to cry for this man. My wife and I believe that he (Rudy) is innocent," Adjie said. (ylt)