Lawyers queried in assault of officer

JAKARTA (JP): Seven students and three lawyers were among 12 people questioned on Thursday in the kidnapping and assault of a chief sergeant from the Central Jakarta police precinct.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. Edward Aritonang said all 12 were questioned immediately when they accompanied Chief Sgt. Supratman to Jakarta Police headquarters early on Thursday. He was allegedly assaulted at the University of Indonesia's campus in Salemba, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.

Aritonang said the questioning was needed for the investigation into the incident. "All were released soon after questioning."

The two others questioned were reportedly journalists, but Aritonang did not disclose their names.

Supratman, a member of the identification unit, was reportedly beaten by students during a demonstration in the Pasar Baru area at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Students accused the officer, who was allegedly taking pictures of the demonstration, of spying.

Several University of Indonesia students rescued Supratman from the melee and took him to their campus, but Aritonang said he was beaten again by students. The assault reportedly occurred on the third floor of the medical school building.

Supratman is undergoing treatment for severe head wounds at Soekanto Police Hospital in East Jakarta.

The Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH) strongly protested the questioning of the lawyers.

Daniel Pandjaitan, the operational head of the institute, said on Thursday that Surya Tjandra, Rita Olivia and Paulus R. Mahulette were questioned from 2 a.m until 11 a.m.

"Rita was even threatened with being named as a suspect in the torture of the police officer," Daniel said.

He emphasized that the lawyers accompanied the students in the event legal counsel was needed in handing over Supratman.

He said the police should investigate the actions of dozens of intelligence officers who followed the students and lawyers from the campus to Jakarta Military Police headquarters in Guntur, South Jakarta, before returning to city police headquarters.

The institute also protested the refusal of military police to take in Supratman, which forced the students and lawyers to transport him to city police headquarters.

A similar incident occurred near police headquarters on Nov. 27 when Maj. Sgt. Suratman was forcibly taken by students and abandoned later in the Kalimalang area of East Jakarta. (jun/emf)