Megawati to comply with summons
Megawati to comply with summons
JAKARTA (JP): The ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri and two of her loyalists will
comply with police summonses for questioning tomorrow in
connection with last week's riots.
"Megawati has indicated that she will respond to the police
summons to the City Police Headquarters for questioning as a
witness at 10 a.m. on Monday," R.O. Tambunan, one of Megawati's
lawyers, told The Jakarta Post yesterday.
Tambunan said that it has yet to be decided whether Megawati
will go to city police headquarters with her lawyers, or will
simply send them to represent her.
Megawati, who is a member of the House of Representatives from
the PDI faction, received the police summons at her residence in
a southern suburb on Friday night, he said.
A copy of the summons for Megawati, made available to The
Jakarta Post said she is to be questioned in connection with
crimes committed between June 17 and July 28 this year.
The crimes are related to the "free speech" forums held daily
at the party's headquarters that drew huge enthusiastic crowds.
The government has accused Megawati's supporters of using the
free speech forums as platforms for anti-government propaganda.
The military, which helped Megawati's political foes take over
the party headquarters, said the activities amounted to an
"embryonic stage of coup d'etat".
Megawati's team of lawyers held a meeting at her house
yesterday to discuss her responses to possible police questions.
Two well-known senior lawyers, Harjono Tjitrosoebono and
Soekardjo Adidjojo, are on the team.
Tambunan said that two PDI legislators, Aberson Marle Sihaloho
and Sophan Sophiaan, will also appear at the police headquarters
tomorrow to comply with the summonses, which were issued for
similar reasons.
Sophan and Aberson, as well as several other outspoken House
members, had addressed the disputed forums.
Meanwhile, the new, government-backed PDI chairman Soerjadi,
who is reportedly also to be questioned in connection with last
week's riots, was not available for comment yesterday. A member
of his staff at his home told The Post that Soerjadi was still
out of the city.
Megawati has filed a lawsuit against the rebel congress
committee, the new PDI central board, the government and the
military for backing and facilitating the congress which ruled
her out of office.
The first hearing for the lawsuit on Thursday was adjourned
until Aug. 22 because presiding judge I Gde Ketut Sukarata, who
is also head of the Central Jakarta District Court, failed to
attend because he had a toothache. (imn)