Megawati grilled again over subversion cases

Megawati grilled again over subversion cases

JAKARTA (JP): Government investigators questioned deposed
leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati
Soekarnoputri yesterday about the July 27 riots in the capital.

Without her lawyers, she was interrogated at the Attorney
General's Office for over seven hours as a witness in subversion
cases involving labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan and political
activist Budiman Sudjatmiko.

Pakpahan and Budiman, who have both been detained, led the
independent Indonesian Prosperous Labor Union (SBSI) and the
Democratic People's Party respectively.

In a red and white outfit, Megawati entered the Attorney
General's Office at about 9 a.m. Her lawyers were barred from
accompanying her.

The defense lawyers and about 30 of her loyalists remained
outside the interrogation room. Outside the premises, some 100
people sang songs in a show of sympathy and chanted slogans of
support as she arrived and when she left the office.

The riots took place after supporters of Soerjadi took over
the party headquarters. A National Commission on Human Rights
investigation found that five people died and another 74 were
missing. But the government said only four died in the incident.

Among the lawyers, who called themselves "The Defense Team for
Indonesian Democracy", were R.O. Tambunan, Amartiwi Saleh, Tumbu
Saraswati, Nusirwan A. Thabrani and Pantas Nainggolan.

Megawati told journalists after the questioning that the
investigators asked her "a lot of questions".

"Some of the questions were so difficult to answer that I felt
like I was taking a school exam," she said. She said she was
treated well during the questioning.

She said that during the course of the questioning, she was
given two breaks for lunch and dinner. However, she was not
allowed to meet with her lawyers.

Megawati's lawyers were outraged by the Attorney General
Office's ban.

"The criminal code procedure does not forbid a lawyer to
accompany his client," Tambunan said.

Today, the Attorney General's Office is scheduled to question
Soerjadi, the government-recognized leader of PDI; Mehbob from
SBSI and Suroto, a political activist from little-known "June 1
Struggle Forum".

Spokesman of the Attorney General's Office Pontas Pasaribu
said that they will also be questioned over the subversion cases
against Pakpahan and Budiman. (16)