Govt to replace Theo as BKPM chairman

Govt to replace Theo as BKPM chairman

Rendi A. Witoelar and Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The government will replace Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM)
chief Theo Toemion due to his poor performance, but says the
decision has no connection with his alleged assault on foreign
residents of Indonesia.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said on Friday the government had
been reviewing the performance of the investment board, including
its chief, for the past three months.

"Currently, we have picked three candidates to fill the
board's top post, and we will announce the chief quite soon. Note
that the change of guard has nothing whatsoever to do with the
assault case," he told reporters.

Theo was reported to have attacked a 14-year-old student
referee and several foreign residents at the Jakarta
International School during a basketball competition in which
Theo's son was taking part on April 17.

Theo allegedly threw chairs and attacked the teenager when his
son was fouled out of the game for rough play. Witnesses said
Theo also hit four U.S. executives and an Australian businessman
who intervened in an attempt to stop the violence.

Theo has defended his actions, saying that his son was being
unfairly treated and discriminated against during the game. He
claimed that he had apologized for the incident.

The government has said that the assault should be settled
though due process of law, and that it would not protect anyone
proven guilty of breaking the law regardless of their status.

Jakarta Police said on Friday it would be asking JIS to
identify all the victims of the rampage and would subsequently
summons them to police headquarters as soon as possible in order
to get a full picture of what happened in the case.

The police spokesman, Sr. Comr. Tjiptono, said that after
questioning of the victims was complete, police would then
question Theo and his wife. Theo is currently on a business trip
in the Netherlands.

"Hopefully, the school will cooperate by providing us with the
names of the victims. And it would be better if they filed a
report with us. We will eventually summons Theo," he said.

So far, police have questioned Second Brig. Sofyan, a member
of the Jakarta Police's vital facilities safeguard unit, Riyo
Santoso, head of the JIS security unit, and two of his
assistants, Tatang and Junaedy. All of them were on duty in the
school compound when the incident occurred.

Tjiptono said two detectives had gone to the school but school
officials had refused to disclose the identities of the victims.

However, he said the police would continue the probe with or
without the victims' report.

According to the criminal code, police can investigate an
assault case without a report being filed by a victim.

"We intend to obtain a full picture of the case before moving
further because there are two versions regarding the incident,
one from the school and the other from Theo. That's why we want
to listen to the victims and Theo before naming a suspect," said
Tjiptono.

Officials -- Page 2