Lawyers demand Udin's blood

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Lawyers at the local office of the Indonesian Legal Aid Institute demanded yesterday that police return the blood sample taken from the slain journalist Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin.

"We are demanding that the blood sample be returned. We're worried that it could be used to stain the shirt and iron bar taken as evidence from the home of the suspect Dwi Sumaji," said spokesman A. Budi Hartono.

The journalist died on Aug. 16 after he was assaulted by unidentified thugs at his house on Aug. 13. When he was in hospital, police requested that his family lend them a sample of blood in order to expedite their investigation. The blood was given but the police did not issue a receipt.

Following weeks of criticism for their slow progress in investigating the case, police announced last week they had arrested a suspect. They also claimed to have seized a blood- stained shirt and an iron bar, allegedly used to beat the journalist to death, as evidence from Dwi's house.

However, Fuad's wife, Marsiyem, who is the main witness, said Dwi did not match her recollection of the killer.

Dwi denies killing Fuad. His wife, Sunarti, charges that police violated procedures because they arrested Dwi without a warrant. She and two other people testified that Dwi was at home on the night of the murder. (30/swe)