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)