Feisal urges Sofjan to stay in the country

Feisal urges Sofjan to stay in the country

JAKARTA (JP): Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung
said yesterday that while business tycoon Sofjan Wanandi was not
barred from traveling overseas, he should stay in the country in
case he is needed for further questioning.

"As a good citizen, he should stay in Indonesia. We've already
questioned him but we have not accused him (of any crime),"
Feisal told reporters before a cabinet meeting at the Bina Graha
presidential office.

Sofjan's presence might be needed at anytime in connection
with the ongoing police investigation into last month's bombing
in Jakarta allegedly by the Democratic People's Party (PRD), he
added.

The businessman, who has been questioned once, is believed to
have flown to Australia last week, with close friends saying that
he went to watch the Australia Open tennis championships. It was
not clear yesterday whether he had returned.

Sources close to Sofjan said yesterday that he would return to
Jakarta this weekend and that he was summoned as a witness in the
questioning of a bombing suspect next Tuesday.

Sofjan, the chairman of the diversified Gemala business group,
has denied any knowledge of or links to the PRD.

A homemade bomb exploded at an apartment in Tanah Tinggi
district on Jan. 18.

The military has arrested one person it said was a member of
the outlawed PRD. The investigation expanded to include Sofjan
after the military found documents in the apartment mentioning
him and his brother, Jusuf Wanandi, as potential PRD financiers.

By law, the military and police could ask the Immigration
Office to bar anyone from leaving the country for national
security reasons or if the person is under investigation.

The spokesman at the Directorate General of Immigration, M.A.
Ghani, said his office had already drafted a letter banning
Sofjan when he left the country on Jan. 27, but in the absence of
any formal request from the military or the police, he was
allowed to go.

Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin,
dismissed widespread rumors yesterday that the PRD bombing
investigation was being expanded to include Gen. (ret.) L.B.
Moerdani, the former Minister of Defense and ABRI chief.

It was premature to make such a conclusion, Sjafrie said. "Pak
Benny's name was not mentioned in any document or evidence found
at the explosion site," he said.

Benny is the nickname of Moerdani who is often linked with the
Centre for Strategic and International Studies run by Jusuf
Wanandi.

The spokesman for the Jakarta Military Command, Lt. Col.
Djazairi Nachrowi, also denied rumors that Sjafrie had gone to
see Moerdani at the latter's home on Tuesday. "Pak Sjafrie spent
the whole afternoon with me, inspecting Jakarta's district
military commands," he said.

Nachrowi said the dossier on Sofjan was now with the Jakarta
Police department.

Three cabinet ministers who know Sofjan personally said
yesterday they did not believe he would betray the country or the
government.

State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, State
Minister of Public Housing Akbar Tandjung and Minister of
Transmigration Siswono Yudohusudo were all student leaders in the
1960s along with Sofjan.

"He took part in establishing the New Order," Akbar said,
recalling the student demonstrations of 1966 that ushered in the
New Order administration of President Soeharto.

"There is not a shred of doubt about his love for the New
Order," he remarked.

Siswono doubted Sofjan would flee the country. "Sofjan is of
high integrity. I think his overseas trip has nothing to do with
the case."

Sarwono said he did not believe Sofjan would ever finance PRD
activities, quipping: "He's too stingy to do it." (prb/imn/jun)