Megawati defies police summons over gathering
Megawati defies police summons over gathering
JAKARTA (JP): Ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party
(PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri defied a police summons yesterday to
answer charges of hosting an illegal political gathering on Jan.
10.
On Wednesday, Megawati's husband Taufik Kiemas defied the same
summons.
Their lawyers, led by R.O. Tambunan, told the police yesterday
his clients refused to appear because the summonses had legal
defects and were "incomplete".
"Our clients have been summoned to attest for an alleged crime
in which the suspect is not mentioned," Tambunan told reporters
shortly after a meeting with the police to explain why his
clients did not show up.
He argued that the summons should have mentioned which law his
clients had broken and who the suspect was.
About 50 Megawati supporters noisily demonstrated their
sympathy outside the South Jakarta police precinct. They
dispersed peacefully after four hours of futile waiting.
Shouting pro-Megawati slogans and singing patriotic songs
whose lyrics were twisted to suit the situation, they also
unfurled banners.
"Soerjadi masterminded the bloody July 27 riots but why is he
not questioned? Why Megawati???" one banner said.
Soerjadi was the politician who replaced Megawati at a
government-sanctioned rebel congress in June last year. The
violent takeover of the PDI headquarters on July 27 triggered a
major riot in Jakarta.
Dozens of riot police and mobile brigade officers closely
watched the protest.
The police charged that Megawati and Taufik, both of whom are
members of the House of Representatives, violated Article 6 of
Law No. 5/1963 which states that political gatherings need an
official permit. They face a maximum jail term of five years.
According to their lawyers, the use of the 1963 law is no
longer relevant.
"The law made under the Old Order regime was meant to secure
the Indonesian Revolution as had been dictated by the already-
revoked Provisional Peoples Consultative Assembly Decree No.
I/MPRS/1960 on the Indonesian Political Manifesto," Tambunan said
in his reply to the police.
The team also said that if the law was still applied, it would
mean that all political activities in the country nowadays were
crimes because they violated the law.
On explaining their clients' stance, the team also questioned
President Soeharto's authorization letter for the police to
question the two legislators. It was only signed by
Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono.
"It would not be too much to ask the President to sign the
authorization letter himself instead of only the minister/state
secretary in view of the fact that our clients are both House
members," the lawyer said.
The team of lawyers also questioned why the police have failed
to question Soerjadi and his 200 supporters who invaded the party
headquarters and sparked the riot.
In response to the lawyers' inquiry, South Jakarta Police
Chief Lt. Col. Sisno Adiwinoto said the summonses had been made
in accordance with the prevailing procedures.
He also insisted on using the law because to his knowledge, it
had not been revoked.
Sisno said the police would issue a second summons to the
couple but he declined to say when. (08)