Megawati Soekarnoputri answers police summons
Megawati Soekarnoputri answers police summons
JAKARTA (JP): Cheered by more than 1,000 supporters, ousted
leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati
Soekarnoputri answered a police summons yesterday to appear as a
witness in the Haryanto Taslam case.
Dressed in a white shirt and red vest and skirt, Megawati
arrived at the South Jakarta police precinct at 11 a.m in a dark-
red Pajero jeep.
Sixty lawyers led by R.O. Tambunan accompanied her in a
motorcade of 13 other cars.
Megawati waved to the supporters and posed for photographers
with her lawyers before entering the police building for
questioning over what police allege was an "illegal political
meeting" held in her mansion Jan. 10.
She reappeared four and a half hours later.
Tambunan, who led the Public Defenders for Indonesian
Democracy (TPDI) team, told a press conference at Megawati's
house in South Jakarta after the interrogation that Megawati was
asked 50 questions.
He said she was questioned "about the party's anniversary
celebration held in her house and who was responsible for the
event".
"Megawati managed to answer well all the police questions,
which I think were not principled at all," Tambunan said.
Megawati hosted the gathering as her rival, government-backed
chairman Soerjadi, led an officially recognized party celebration
in Sulawesi.
Megawati loyalist Haryanto Taslam organized the allegedly
illegal celebration that he claimed was a Ramadhan breaking-of-
the-fast gathering.
Tambunan said that during the questioning Megawati was
accompanied by five lawyers; himself, Petrus Selestinus, Erick S.
Paat, Dwi Ria Latifah, and Erlina R. Tambunan.
He said the lawyers engaged in a "fierce debate" with the
four-member investigating team about the "flawed" procedures used
by the police to summon Megawati.
"We told them that as a member of the country's respected
House of Representatives, Megawati should have received a letter
authorizing the interrogation signed by President Soeharto
himself, instead of just by Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono,"
he said.
Tambunan said the TPDI had lodged a lawsuit with the Jakarta
State Administrative Court against President Soeharto, Moerdiono,
Attorney General Singgih, and South Jakarta Police Precinct Chief
Lt. Col Sisno Adiwinoto for the alleged "state procedures
violations".
Under Indonesian law, the President must give police
permission to question a member of the House of Representatives.
"But because of Ibu Megawati's generosity, she was willing to
comply with what the investigators wanted," Tambunan told the
press.
"However, we called on them (the authorities) not to
misinterpret her generosity and compassion," he quipped.
Tambunan said PDI's anniversary celebration, which according
to Megawati "was the party's tradition", had not violated any
law.
"What the police are using to nail Megawati is a rotten law,"
Tambunan said, referring to Law No. 5/1963 stated by the police
in the summons.
The law, he said, was based on an already-revoked decree of
the Provisional People's Consultative Assembly made in the late
Sukarno's era of "guided democracy".
Tambunan said Megawati was due to appear again at the police
precinct on March 3 for more questioning. Her husband, Taufik
Kiemas, is due to be questioned further on Feb. 27.
Hundreds of supporters followed Megawati from the police
precinct to her house, where she gave a press conference.
Megawati called on her followers to wear red-and-white at the
next police questioning.
"Red and white are the colors our national flag, the symbol
that ties the whole nation together," she said to her cheering
supporters.
Earlier at the South Jakarta Police Precinct, Sisno repeated
his statement made Monday that the summonses did not make
reference to Haryanto Taslam and that the police were making
general inquiries.
Megawati's lawyers, showing reporters the summons at the press
conference, refuted Sisno's statement, saying "Haryanto's name is
written in the summonses". (08)