Government investigation of Bintang still stalled
JAKARTA (JP): The government's investigation of rebel politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas remained stalled yesterday, although the Attorney General's Office appointed a new prosecutor to lead the questioning.
Nur Amalia, one of Bintang's lawyers, said the investigation was cut short because interrogators could not answer a number of his client's questions or explain the charges or grounds for arrest.
Bintang, a former legislator, was arrested on March 5 on charges of subversion in connection with his activities in the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) which he founded with colleagues last May.
Bintang's list of "sins" according to the government include calling for a boycott of the May 29 general election -- a proposal made in his Idul Fitri cards -- and drawing up a new constitution.
Two other PUDI leaders, Julius Usman and Saleh Abdullah were arrested on the same charges.
Amalia said that at the start of the investigation yesterday, the interrogators objected to the defense lawyers' presence.
The prosecutors cited an article in the Criminal Code Procedure which said lawyers were permitted to watch but not to hear questioning in investigations involving national security issues.
"We argued that Bintang was arrested under the Subversion Law, and that the arrest warrant made no mention of national security questions. They should change the warrant before they apply the article on national security," she said.
On Wednesday, Bintang demanded that the prosecutor leading the investigation, Mulyono, be replaced because of his alleged involvement in the latest corruption scandal at the Attorney General's Office.
The investigation yesterday was led by S.T. Silangit.
Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Ismudjoko told reporters the appointment of Silangit had nothing to do with Bintang's demands.
Mulyono remains in the team of interrogators and could investigate Bintang later, he said.
Ismudjoko said Mulyono had been cleared of any wrongdoing in connection with the corruption scandal over the handling of the confiscated assets of jail escapee businessman Eddy Tansil.
"Mulyono was investigated and he is clean," he said.
Forum Keadilan news magazine recently reported that a number of Attorney General's Office officials were believed to have embezzled the interest earnings of the billions of rupiah of Tansil's assets kept at the government-run Bank Pembangunan Indonesia (Bapindo).
Tansil, who was convicted for swindling Bapindo, escaped jail in May last year and is believed to have fled abroad.
Achmad Fauzan, one of the defense lawyers, said yesterday the prosecutors had agreed to Bintang's requests for a laptop computer and a water dispenser in his detention cell at the Roundbuilding of the Attorney General's Office.
But they refused to allow him his lecture notes. Bintang is still registered as a lecturer on industrial management at the government-run University of Indonesia. (05)