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)