Housewife sues Maluku police chief

AMBON, Maluku: A housewife in the Maluku capital of Ambon sued the provincial police chief for allegedly ordering what she called an arbitrary raid on her house without a court warrant.

Songalin, 42, who was accompanied by her lawyer Roza Alfaris, said on Tuesday that the Maluku police had raided her house, seized a computer and frozen her bank accounts without an order from the district court.

The police had arrested Welyam Nanlohy, 30, for alleged possession of illegal narcotics at the house of Thio Liem Sin, and seized a motorcycle belonging Songalin for some reason.

After questioning Nanlohy, the police later raided Songalin's house on March 13, 2003, while she was away, without her consent or a warrant.

However, they found no drugs in the house on Jl. Tulukabessy, so they decided to take her personal computer and a bank deposit book from the house.

The reasons for the confiscation of her computer and the freezing of her bank account were never made clear.

The move clearly violated the law because it was made without abiding by legal procedures, Alfaris said.

He said his client would also sue the Ambon branch of Danamon Bank for freezing her account. --Antara

;JP; ANPAa..r.. Across-Poso-troops Withdrawal of troops from Poso likely JP/5/acros01

Withdrawal of troops from Poso likely

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi: Police and military reinforcements would likely be withdrawn soon from the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso, wracked by years of bloodshed and sectarian conflicts since 2000, as peace has largely been restored there, say officers.

Sr. Comr. Sukirno, deputy chief of the Central Sulawesi provincial police, said on Monday that the planned withdrawal of soldiers and police officers was due to the improving security conditions in Poso.

The move was connected with the end of their terms of assignment in the former strife-torn town, he added.

However, South Sulawesi Military Commander Brig. Gen. M. Sulchan on Tuesday could not confirm the planned departure, saying he was not notified about it.

He said he would welcome the plan if it was already decided.

Sulchan said military forces had so far been stationed in Poso under the operational control of the Central Sulawesi police.

Therefore, it was left to the police authorities whether to pull out all the reinforcements from Poso or not, he added.

"The withdrawal is gratifying because it means that the security conditions in Poso are getting better, which we have all been striving for," Sulchan said. --Antara