Feisal says neither he nor Soeharto ordered PDI attack

JAKARTA (JP): Police investigators may find it difficult to draw conclusions over the criminal aspects of the July 27, 1996 attack on Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters as witnesses have continued to give conflicting testimonies.

Former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung told national police investigators on Friday that neither he nor former president Soeharto gave orders to attack the PDI headquarters.

"I had never received orders from then president Soeharto to take over the PDI headquarters," Feisal said in his written testimony, which was read by his lawyer Col. Agus B. Setiawan.

"I also never gave orders to military officers to take over the headquarters, nor was I informed of the takeover by my subordinates once it happened."

"But if by any chance police find out that military personnel were involved in the takeover, I, as the Armed Forces chief at that time, will apologize," he added.

Arriving at the National Police headquarters on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta at around 9:30 a.m. and leaving at around 11.30 a.m. under the watchful eyes of journalists, Feisal remained tightlipped.

"Just ask my lawyers," he said before getting into a black Volvo and driving off.

Earlier, former ABRI chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid and former Jakarta military commander Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso had testified before the police investigators that the country's former "political patron" was behind the takeover.

They did not name the former political patron, but it is believed they were referring to Soeharto.

Lt. Gen. (ret) Soeyono, who was the ABRI chief of general affairs at the time of the incident, testified that Soeharto did not have anything to do with the takeover.

In the questioning led by Deputy National Police detectives chief of general crimes Col. Makbul Padmanegara, Feisal was accompanied by lawyers from the Indonesian Military legal affairs department -- Maj. Nur Hajijah, Maj. S. Damanik, Capt. Bambang Widarto, Capt. N. Sirait, Lt. Col. M.D. Purnomo and Col. Setiawan.

Setiawan said Feisal, however, admitted that he attended a meeting with Soeharto at his residence on Jl. Cendana in Central Jakarta with several top ranking military officers one week before the incident.

"But the meeting did not involve any plan to take over the headquarters," Setiawan said while quoting Feisal.

The July 1996 riot broke down after a group of supporters representing PDI's splinter faction leader Soerjadi -- which was allegedly backed by some elements in ABRI -- raided and took over the party headquarters from the supporters of the ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Soerjadi replaced Megawati, who is now Vice President, in a government-sponsored congress in May 1996.

The takeover triggered mass unrest throughout Central Jakarta, resulting in the death of at least five people and injuring 149 others.

Meanwhile, 23 people are reportedly still missing.

Megawati has challenged the validity of the headquarters takeover in court, but to no avail.

Police then reopened the investigation in February and named 13 suspects shortly after that, including Soerjadi who has been under police arrest since April 11.

About half an hour after Feisal left the police headquarters, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) A.M. Fatwa was seen coming out of the General Crime department office.

Fatwa told the reporters that he had just visited Soerjadi and given him a book written by Fatwa, titled "The Art of A Regime", that has yet to be published.

"Soerjadi and I have something in common. We're the victims of the New Order administration's political schemes," he said bitterly. (09)