Laskar Jihad commander offers to stop lawsuit

Laskar Jihad commander offers to stop lawsuit

JAKARTA (JP): Laskar Jihad Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jammaah commander
Ja'far Umar Thalib offered on Thursday to revoke his lawsuit
against the National Police on the condition that they drop the
murder charges against him.

But the police confirmed later in the day that they would
press on with the investigation into Ja'far for allegedly
inciting religious hostility and ordering the murder of one of
his followers, who was stoned to death in Maluku for adultery.
The police also said that the suspect was still placed under
house arrest.

Ja'far, who sued the police for what he claimed was an illegal
arrest and detention, told journalists after the hearing at the
South Jakarta District Court that he would discuss the
possibilities with the police.

Ja'far's lawyer Eggy Sujana said earlier in the hearing: "We
intend to revoke our suit against the police. They had been very
cooperative, demonstrated by their converting our client's arrest
status from house arrest to city arrest. We are confident the
police will drop the charges altogether."

Eggy added that the planned negotiation with the police was
aimed at avoiding possible further conflicts. He did not
elaborate.

Judge Syamsul Ali adjourned the trial until Friday, when the
plaintiff would decide whether or not to revoke the lawsuit.

The courtroom was packed with dozens of Ja'far's followers,
all of them wearing the all-white Muslim garb.

The court building, situated in the crowded residential and
business area of Kemang, was tightly guarded by police, who had
also picked up Ja'far from his brother's house in Bogor.

Ja'far, leader of a hard-line Muslim group, was arrested by
the police on May 4 at Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, and
was later put under house arrest.

Later on Thursday, Ja'far and his lawyer met National Police
chief Gen. Surojo Bimantoro and the National Police Detective
chief, Insp. Gen. Engkesman Hillep.

"I and my client spoke with the police chief and told him that
we were ready to revoke our lawsuit against the National Police,
over the wrongful arrest of my client, as long as police released
my client from house arrest," Eggy Sudjana, told reporters.

The meeting was quickly played down by National Police top
officials, who said that the discussions held between Ja'far and
the four-star general did not touch the charges against Ja'far.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Didi Widayadi said that
there would be no negotiations with Ja'far regarding the charges
of murder and inciting hatred.

"Ja'far has been charged with murder and inciting hatred
against a religion ... this is a nonnegotiable fact and
investigations into both these charges will continue," Didi told
The Jakarta Post.

Didi however said that Ja'far had requested for his house
arrest status to be lifted, and that police were considering the
matter.

"We have not made any decisions on his house arrest status. It
is still under consideration." (bby/ylt)