Expert adamant on cause of Lt. Dadang's death

Expert adamant on cause of Lt. Dadang's death

JAKARTA (JP): A forensic doctor said yesterday she was
prepared to put her job on the line in differing from official
police reports on the death of a Bogor Police officer last month.

Police said a student mob stoned Second Lt. Dadang Rusmana,
43, during a break in a demonstration at Juanda University on May
9 and that he subsequently died of a head injury.

But Yuli Budiningsih Tjatur of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI)
Bogor Hospital, who conducted an autopsy on Dadang's body on the
day of his death, concluded he died of a heart attack.

She said yesterday she did not want the public to make hasty
judgments on the alleged involvement of students.

"I hope the people do not easily judge the students by calling
them evil and that they dared to kill a police officer."

A ruling could only come through a trial, she told reporters
at the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital here.

Yuli, also a lecturer at the School of Medicine of the
University of Indonesia, announced Saturday her conclusion on the
death of Dadang, head of the intelligence unit of Bogor City
Police.

Police maintained Dadang died from a head injury sustained
after a rock was thrown at him by students when he tried to
intervene to rescue a military intelligence officer, Capt. Ali,
from a student mobbing. Ali remains hospitalized.

Students have insisted they attacked Ali because he was
disrespectful by entering the university's mosque without
removing his shoes outside.

Eyewitnesses claim Dadang's body was not at the scene when
they were dispersed by hundreds of police and military officers
who entered the campus.

Yuli said her findings were supported by all of her
colleagues, including a forensic expert from the Bogor Regional
Police, Abdullah.

The latter also took part in the autopsy of the officer
together with hospital staff and dozens of police officers.

"He told me 'Don't be afraid. I agree with you. Although I
work for the police, I'm also a doctor'," Yuli said.

"I felt relieved."

Autopsy results have been submitted to the Bogor Police.

A police officer, she said, had visited her forensic
laboratory recently and questioned an employee why the autopsy
finding differed with the police investigator.

"'I'm the investigator, I have obtained confessions from the
students that they hit the officer, and a reenactment has been
held. This autopsy result has negated our investigation'," she
quoted the officer as saying.

When asked for comment yesterday, Bogor Regional Police Chief
Col. Abubakar Nataprawira said he had yet to study the autopsy
report.

"I haven't read it but the confession of the three students
and reenactment revealed that the students hit the police officer
with a wooden bat, stone and stepped on his stomach," he told The
Jakarta Post.

"Maybe Dadang had coronary disease and he died of shock after
he was beaten. But to be certain of who was responsible for his
death, let's wait for a court verdict."

Three Juanda University students have been named as suspects
in Dadang's death.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar expressed
concern yesterday over Yuli's public announcement. He told the
Post that the doctor should have discussed her report with the
local police before making a statement. (ivy/edt)