Dibyo denies attending meeting at Cendana

Dibyo denies attending meeting at Cendana

JAKARTA (JP): Former National Police chief Gen. (ret) Dibyo
Widodo denied on Wednesday that he attended a meeting at
Soeharto's house where the former president ordered several top
officials from the military and the police to retake the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters on July 27, 1997.

Dibyo's denial was given by his lawyer O.C. Kaligis after the
retired four-star police general was questioned for seven hours
by a joint military-police investigation team at the National
Military Police Headquarters (Puspom).

"Pak Dibyo did not attend the meeting as mentioned earlier by
Sutiyoso," Kaligis said, referring to the incumbent Governor of
Jakarta who is also the former chief of the City Military
Command.

After being questioned by the same team on Monday last week,
Sutiyoso told reporters that ABRI (the former name of the
Indonesian Armed Forces) officers took initiatives to stop a free
speech forum at the headquarters after Soeharto gave an implicit
order to do so during a meeting at the latter's residence on Jl.
Cendana on July 19 of that year.

The meeting, Sutiyoso said, was attended by himself, Dibyo,
then Indonesian Military chief Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, then
Army Chief of Staff Gen. (ret) Hartono, then ABRI Chief of
General Affairs Soeyono, then Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen.
Hamami Nata, then minister of home affairs Yogie SM, and then
Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen.
(ret) Syarwan Hamid.

The operation led to a violent attack on the headquarters of
the PDI, which was at the time under the leadership of Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who is now Vice President.

The building on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta was used by
the party's executives and supporters to stage free speech forums
against Soeharto's government.

The attack which also involved supporters of a PDI splinter
group, led by Soerjadi, left five dead -- according to the
official record -- with 23 others reportedly still missing.

The attack triggered massive unrest in the Menteng area near
the party headquarters.

When asked by reporters to comment on Sutiyoso's remark about
his presence at Cendana, Dibyo briefly said: "Ask Pak Sutiyoso."

Dibyo also refused to further explain the presence of Police
Mobile Brigade (Brimob) personnel at the headquarters when the
incident occurred.

"Brimob personnel were there because they were commanded to go
there," Dibyo said, but refused to mention who had given the
command.

"Ask Hamami Nata," Dibyo said and rushed into his car.

On Sept. 4, Col. Hendardji, Director of Investigation at the
Military Police Headquarters, said that elements of Brimob were
allegedly involved in the attack. (jaw)