Heart failure caused death of Lt. Dadang: Doctor

Heart failure caused death of Lt. Dadang: Doctor

JAKARTA (JP): A forensic expert has determined that a police
intelligence officer, reportedly stoned to death by students
during a demonstration at Juanda University campus in Bogor last
month, died of a heart attack.

Yuli Budiningsih of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Bogor
Hospital confirmed yesterday that Second Lt. Dadang Rusmana's
death on May 9 was due to a coronary.

"We did not find any bruises on the back of his head. We found
only minor bruises in his nose and on his lips," Yuli told The
Jakarta Post.

Police have maintained Dadang died from a head injury
sustained after a rock was thrown at him by students. Yuli said
the injuries she found might be consistent with the 43-year-old
falling facefirst onto the ground.

Dadang was comatose when he was admitted to the hospital at
4:03 p.m. on the day of the incident, she said. "He died about
seven minutes later."

Yuli said she examined Dadang's body at 7 p.m.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Da'i Bachtiar disputed
that Dadang's death was caused by a heart attack, insisting it
was due to mistreatment.

"For the time being, police still consider that his death was
caused by torture," Da'i told the Post yesterday.

Dadang had tried to intervene to rescue a military
intelligence officer, Capt. Ali, from a student mobbing, when he
was hit by a rock thrown by protesters, police have maintained.

Ali remained hospitalized.

Students have insisted they attacked Ali because he entered
the university's mosque without removing his shoes outside.

They claim Dadang's body was not at the scene when they were
dispersed by hundreds of police and military officers who entered
the campus.

Lawyer Esther of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute said there
was a significant time difference between when the officers
dispersed the students and when the police announced they found
Dadang dying at the scene.

She did not rule the possibility the police put Dadang's body
at the scene after the students fled.

The university students and lecturers visited the National
Commission on Human Rights on Monday, complaining that police
tortured 12 students believed to be connected to the incident.

Lawyer Apong Herlina of the institute, who represented the
students, said students were forced to confess they beat Dadang
to death.

Nine of the students were released after being detained for
three days, while the other three were named as suspects in the
death of Dadang, she said.

Apong said one of the suspects, identified as Emon, was
paralyzed due to the torture inflicted during his time in custody
of the Bogor police precinct.

She said Friday that her office and the commission had
received copies of Dadang's autopsy results, which were different
from the police reports.

"We will hold a press conference about it," she said. (jun)