Detained suspects grilled over Setya's role: Lawyers
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)