Dibyo grilled over July 27 case

JAKARTA (JP): Former National Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo appeared at his former office on Wednesday for questioning as a witness in the forcible takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters on July 27, 1996.

"I was responsible for security during the July 27 incident. The National Police had to secure the area around the PDI headquarters (on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta) mainly due to escalating activities of free-speech forums at the headquarters," Dibyo said after the four-hour questioning which ended at about 2 p.m.

"I had deployed a few Brimob (Mobile Brigade) troops in the area."

When asked why the security of the city had been taken over by the National Police Headquarters, Dibyo said the decision was taken based on a request from "a high-ranking military officer of the capital" at the time.

Dibyo refused to name the military officer. (ylt)