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)