Officers in hospital attack, returnees from E. Timor: Erald

JAKARTA (JP): Preliminary results of a police investigation into last week's attack at the health facility of Jakarta Hospital in South Jakarta revealed the attackers were troops who had just returned from a battle zone in East Timor.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Erald Dotulong said on Thursday that the military officers who caused excessive damage to a part of Jakarta Hospital were from troops posted in East Timor, during the chaotic period after the Aug. 30 self- determination ballot.

"Three days before the hospital attack, those officers had just stepped foot in Jakarta. They came from a long and difficult fight, controlling the dangerous situations in East Timor," Erald told reporters at National Police headquarters.

"The attack, whatever the case, is still very wrong. Whatever the reason, those officers were just undisciplined."

Frustrated military officers entered the hospital's four-story administration building in the late evening of Wednesday last week, broke the windows and doors and fired several gas canisters into the basement, in search of suspected militant students hiding on the premises.

A number of people were injured and dragged away, while four rooms used as a kitchen, administration, central sterilization for surgical equipment and a laundry were heavily damaged during the attack, which has sparked anger from many people and institutions.

MP business

Erald said the results of the police investigation, which included the questioning of six of the hospital's staffers, would soon be handed over to the military police.

"National Police Gen. Roesmanhadi issued orders today (Thursday) that the case will soon be handed over to Military Police Headquarters. Feel free to ask the General himself why the transfer is necessary," Erald said.

He declined to confirm whether the troops were from the Army Strategic Reserves Command's (Kostrad) 201 battalion, based in Jakarta.

"I can't confirm whether that is true or not."

"I do remind you that this is a nation of law. With regard to this case, even the city police chief (Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman) can be summoned for questioning," he said.

Noegroho was the commander of the joint security troops deployed in and around the Jakarta area during the recent General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly.

When asked whether he knew that the attack was planned, Erald said he did not know of such a plan.

He was silent when reporters hinted that it was common knowledge that when the lights suddenly go out in a particular area, which is being heavily guarded by military officers, it almost certainly means that there was going to be an attack.

When a reporter said that there were at least 50 of his colleagues at the scene, the undeterred Erald said that "this means, any one of you could be called in for questioning as eyewitnesses as well."

From the sky

On the police's preliminary investigation results, political observer Hermawan Sulistyo said on Thursday that whether the military officers had "returned from Timtim, or from the sky, the act was a very serious violation".

"It was a serious violation against mankind. Call Noegroho first, question him seriously over the matter, then talk," Hermawan, a researcher at the National Institute of Sciences, told The Jakarta Post.

Jakarta Hospital Foundation chairman Royono Murad said on Tuesday that repairs at the hospital would be completed by next week.

Royono has repeatedly insisted that Jakarta Hospital had no reason or plans to sue the police.

Earlier, hospital executives said that medical surgery would be suspended for two and a half months at least, owing to damage worth some Rp 2.5 billion. (ylt)