Illegal flyer suspects get legal aid lawyers

Illegal flyer suspects get legal aid lawyers

JAKARTA (JP): The Foundation of the Indonesian Legal Aid
Institute (YLBHI) confirmed yesterday that three men detained by
police for allegedly possessing inflammatory flyers had asked RO
Tambunan to defend them.

YLBHI spokesman Munir told The Jakarta Post yesterday that RO
Tambunan, lawyer for the supporters of Megawati, the ousted
chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), had accepted
the request.

The statements were somewhat contradictory to the fact that
the foundation had been asked to defend the suspects, Ilhamsyah,
Bimo Petrus and Herni Sualan.

Munir and another lawyer, Erizal, met with the suspects Monday
at the City Police detention center, where a man claiming to be
an assistant to RO Tambunan had visited them.

"The suspects, who signed the contract offered by the man,
were unaware that their families had asked YLBHI to defend them,"
Erizal said yesterday.

"There will be no problem with us at YLBHI, as long as
everything is clearly legal. But I have failed to contact RO
Tambunan to confirm this," he said.

Munir and Erizal were pleased with their visit to the City
Police detention center as they had earlier been barred from
meeting the suspects.

"The police also let Ilhamsyah's family meet him on Monday.
The other two men's families might come later, but Herni's family
may find it difficult as they live in Sulawesi," Munir said.

The three suspects, all in their 20s, were acquainted but
studied at different universities in Jakarta.

They were arrested during identity card checks Tuesday morning
in South Jakarta, Munir said.

"Some illegal flyers were seized from them during the checks.
We don't have any idea what the flyers are about as we have not
seen them," Munir said.

According to the police, the flyers contain antigovernment
statements.

He said the three were first detained at the South Jakarta
police precinct but were transferred to the City Police detention
center last Friday.

"The City Police rejected our visit last Friday, arguing that
they should first discuss the matter with the intelligence agency
before letting anyone visit the suspects," Munir said.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang denied the police
had prohibited the lawyers and the suspects' families from
visiting them.

"The suspects have the right to be visited by their families
and their lawyers. My presumption is that the visitors came
outside of visiting hours and so the police could not let them
in," Aritonang said.

Visiting hours at the detention center are from 9 a.m. to 1
p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Munir said the police should have made an exception for him
and his colleague as it was their first visit to their clients
following their arrest.

The foundation criticized the police for not properly
following procedure in arresting the suspects, saying the
families of the suspects had not been informed until the three
men had spent three nights in the police precinct cell.

Aritonang defended police's action, saying a charge sheet
could be filled out later in the event that the person was caught
red-handed. (04)