Housewife sues Maluku police chief

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would likely be withdrawn soon from the Central Sulawesi regency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