Hamami named a suspect

Hamami named a suspect

JAKARTA (JP): Former Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami
Nata was formally declared a suspect on Monday in an official
investigation into the violent takeover of the Indonesian
Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in 1996, his lawyer said.

"He (Hamami) was questioned today in his capacity as a
suspect," lawyer O.C. Kaligis told reporters after accompanying
his client through a nine-hour marathon questioning session at
Military Police Headquarters.

In spite of his new status, Hamami was not put under arrest.

He left the building after the questioning by a joint National
Police-Military Police team comprising Col. Handragiri, Col.
Farid Ali, Col. Hendraryono, and Supt. Ari Pribadi.

None of the team members were available to confirm Hamami's
new status.

Hamami becomes the most senior officer from either the
Indonesian Military or the National Police to be named as a
suspect in connection with the July 27, 1996, attack which led to
a bloody riot in Jakarta.

He was formally charged with the use of force against people
and property under Article 170 of the Criminal Code, an offense
punishable with up to five years and six months in prison.

As the chief of the Jakarta Police, Hamami was responsible for
the security of the capital. The present Jakarta governor
Sutiyoso, who was chief of the Jakarta Military Command in 1996,
has also been questioned but not named a suspect.

"I explained to the team what I have done. I said it was my
duty as the Jakarta Police chief to uphold security (then),"
Hamami told reporters after the questioning.

Hamami denied, however, that he should bear all the
responsibility for what happened.

"There was an instruction from my superior," he said. He
declined to elaborate.

Kaligis pointed to a high-level meeting two days prior to the
attack at the office of the Coordinating Minister for Political
and Security Affairs.

The PDI office at the time was occupied by supporters of the
ousted PDI leader Megawati Soekarnoputri. During the brief
occupation, the PDI office on Jl. Diponegoro became the venue for
a free speech forum, with activist verbally attacking the
government of then president Soeharto and his policies.

On the day in question, a group of supporters of the PDI
splinter faction, backed by elements of the military, attacked
and took over the party headquarters. The raid triggered unrest
in Central Jakarta which left five dead. (02)