Megawati supporters sue Soerjadi over takeover
Megawati supporters sue Soerjadi over takeover
JAKARTA (JP): Megawati Soekarnoputri supporters are suing the
Indonesian Democratic Party's (PDI) government-recognized top
executives for ordering the violent takeover of the party's
headquarters last year.
The lawsuit was filed Thursday at the Central Jakarta District
Court by 124 Megawati supporters who were prosecuted last year
for defying a police order while they were defending the party's
office on July 27.
The defendants includes the PDI's chairman, Soerjadi, its
secretary-general, Buttu Hutapea, and four other party officials.
The suit also names the Central Jakarta police chief for
allowing Soerjadi's supporters to attack the office. They did not
name the officer but Lt. Col. Abubakar Nataprawira held the
position at the time.
The plaintiffs are seeking Rp 12.4 billion (US$5.2 million) in
damages.
Chanting slogans and unfurling banners, about 150 Megawati
supporters marched about a kilometer to the court from their
lawyers' office.
The chanted: "Mega will win", "Take Soerjadi to court" and
"Mega our president".
Soerjadi supporters raided the party's headquarters a month
after he toppled Megawati in a government-backed rebel congress
in Medan, North Sumatra.
The takeover sparked a riot.
The National Commission on Human Rights says at least five
people were killed and 124 injured in the riot. It says 23 people
are still missing.
The plaintiffs said Soerjadi and his colleagues prepared and
led the raid.
Last November, 115 of the 124 were sentenced to between one
month and four months in jail while 8 were acquitted.
Their chief lawyer, R.O. Tambunan, said Soerjadi committed
political crime.
Tambunan said the civil lawsuit was filed because their
complaint to the Jakarta city police was not heeded.
"We will see if there is justice," he said.
On Thursday night Hutapea said Megawati's supporters had the
right to sue.
"But what are the grounds for their lawsuit? The fact that
they were convicted by the court proves that it was they who were
guilty," he said.
"We did not raid the headquarters, we just took it over," he
said.
The PDI, under Soerjadi's leadership, was the rightful owner
of the headquarters, he said. (05)