Forsad threatens to damage police HQ

JAKARTA (JP): The Study Forum of Democratic Actions (Forsad) has challenged city police detectives to prove with legal evidence the drug case and charge of car theft following the arrest of one of its executives.

Should the officers fail to carry out their investigation fairly and to prove their accusation, the organization would order its 3,000 members to vandalize the Jakarta Police headquarters, Forsad chairman Faisal Riza Rachmad told reporters on Monday.

"I'm warning the city police detectives that we will break everything at their headquarters if this investigation is not done correctly," Faisal said.

"And if the police can't prove the legality of the arrest, I will bring 3,000 men to the city police headquarters within three days (from now), and break everything."

Police on Saturday arrested Basri Sangaji, a head of Forsad, at his home in Depok and found three cars, believed to have been taken by force from their owner, and one kilogram of marijuana.

According to city police detective chief of violence and crime, Maj. Dharma, the raid at Basri's house led to the arrest six of the suspect's friends at a place in Pejaten, South Jakarta.

The raid, the officer said, was made following a complaint filed against Basri earlier in the week by Icham, a Pejaten resident. He accused Basri of occupying Icham's house with the help of the other six men.

According to Icham's complaint, Basri had persistently asked Icham to pay a debt of Rp 100 million (US$13,400).

"Basri is a notorious debt collector, like most of his friends. They have threatened several people endlessly. We plan to question him not only over the cars and drugs, but also about he why was he troubling Icham constantly," Dharma said.

But Faisal defended Basri, by saying that the police accusations was totally groundless.

One of the cars, for example, which is a Toyota Land Cruiser, belongs to Faisal.

"I have the complete documents for the car," he added.

Basri, who is also chairman of the Maluku Islamic Youth, was no hotshot debt collector, he added.

"The marijuana found at Basri's house could have been planted by the police themselves," Faisal accused.

But the police have their own version.

Officer Dharma said: "Basri has already confessed to us that the marijuana was a gift from a friend in Bandung, West Java. Let's see what he says about the cars."

Faisal later responded that the Saturday arrest, led by Maj. Dharma, was based on a personal feud between Dharma and Basri. (ylt)