Honorary council to probe Prabowo

Honorary council to probe Prabowo

JAKARTA (JP): Former Army Special Force (Kopassus) commanders
Lt. Gen. Prabowo Subianto and Maj. Gen. Muchdi Purwopranjono will
be questioned by an Officers Honorary Council investigating the
alleged involvement of members of the unit in the abduction of
political activists.

Minister of Defense and Security/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
Wiranto revealed that Col. Chairawan, commander of Kopassus Group
IV which deals with intelligence operations, will also be
summoned before the council.

Ten Kopassus soldiers ranking below colonel will soon face a
military tribunal for their alleged involvement in the
abductions.

Wiranto told a media briefing that the three high-ranking
officers "are suspected of violating the Officers' Code of
Conduct," while the ten soldiers have been charged with direct
involvement in the kidnappings.

Last month Prabowo said he was prepared to take responsibility
for the abduction of political activists if there was proof that
his troops were involved.

Wiranto, who opened the briefing with a public apology for the
Armed Forces' (ABRI) failure to prevent the widespread rioting
and rapes here last May, did not rule out the possibility of
bringing the three officers before a tribunal if new evidence
emerged.

Wiranto dismissed speculation that the council had been
established as a means by which to quash Prabowo, whom many have
described as Wiranto's arch political rival.

"The process is free from any political motives. Do not make
any allegations or spread rumors that will prevent ABRI from
carrying out its duty," he said. "Differences of opinions inside
ABRI are only natural but they will not break the forces or
affect ABRI's strong unity."

He did not give any timetable for the interrogation or the
trial.

The seven member honorary council is led by Army Chief of
Staff Gen. Subagyo Hadisiswoyo. His deputy is ABRI Chief of
General Affairs Lt. Gen. Fachrul Razi.

Other members of the council are Inspector-general of the
Ministry of Defense and Security Lt. Gen. Jusuf Kartanegara, ABRI
Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, Governor of the National Resilience Institute
(Lemhanas) Lt. Gen. Agum Gumelar, Chief of the Army's Strategic
Reserves Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. Djamari Chaniago and
Commandant-general of the Armed Forces Academy Vice Adm. Achmad
Sutjipto.

Prabowo, former president Soeharto's son-in-law, commanded
Kopassus for more than two years before he was appointed
commander of Kostrad and replaced by Muchdi last March.

Prabowo was removed from Kostrad one day after Soeharto
announced his resignation on May 21 and appointed chief of the
Armed Forces Staff and Command School in Bandung.

Muchdi was also removed from Kopassus last May. He was
replaced by Maj. Gen. Syahrir M.S.

Subagyo confirmed yesterday that the three officers have been
removed from their current positions.

Separately, Munir from the Commission for Missing Persons and
Victims of Violence (Kontras) said the three officers should be
court martialled immediately.

The leader of the non-governmental organization which has been
actively searching for the missing activists told a media
conference: "We believe that they knew and gave the order for the
abductions."

He said the military authorities had failed to maintain the
principle of equality before the law.

"Wiranto told me during our meeting last week that the three
officers cannot be brought before a court martial because they
are 'honorary citizens'," he revealed.

Meanwhile, Moslem leader Amien Rais urged Prabowo to tell the
honorary council nothing but the truth.

"I hope that Prabowo will reveal all the facts (behind the
abductions). There should not even be one word omitted," Amien
said as quoted by Antara after addressing a gathering of the
International Executive Circle yesterday.

"Prabowo must be held responsible for the kidnappings.
However, there are other people who must also shoulder the
blame," he said. He did not mention any names, but he agreed when
reporters cited former president Soeharto.

A similar military board was set up in 1992 to investigate the
involvement of high ranking officers in the shooting of civilians
in Dili, East Timor. None of the officers involved were court
martialled but some were transferred or removed from their duties
after the investigation. (imn/byg)