PAN councillor rejects dismissal over rape charge

JAKARTA (JP): A city councillor from the National Mandate Party (PAN), who was earlier reported to police for alleged sexual harassment, rejected on Wednesday the party's decision to fire him.

Councillor M. Syamsuardi Botan told reporters that he had heard about his planned dismissal, "But until now, I have yet to receive a letter of dismissal".

Syamsuardi, also secretary of the council's Commission A for administrative and legal affairs, said he would reject his party's decision to dismiss him since he had been freed from the rape charge.

He said he had just received a letter from the Jakarta Police canceling the case as there was not enough evidence to continue investigations.

He viewed a conspiracy from certain people in his party to remove him from the council.

He said that if the party still tried to dismiss him, he would file a lawsuit against the party.

The party's executive, M. Suwardi, revealed on Tuesday that the party's central board decided in its meeting on April 6 to dismiss Syamsyuadi.

Suwardi, also the council's deputy chairman, said the party decided to dismiss Syamsyuadi because the rape case was related to the party's image.

Police questioned Syamsuardi in March this year after receiving a report from a woman, identified as Nurul Fatmawati Alifa, who claimed to have been molested by the councillor.

Alifa said the councillor raped her in April, 1997 in Ancol, North Jakarta while her husband, Jonni Irwansyah, who was also Symasuardi's client, was serving a jail sentence.

Syamsuardi denied on Wednesday that Jonni was his client, saying that he knew Jonni just as a man from his hometown of Padang, West Sumatra.

"Jonni is 'hoodlum' and served six years in jail for murder," he said.

He said that after being released in November last year, Jonni once visited him, asking to borrow Rp 50 million.

He said he refused to lend Jonni the money and has since been repeatedly threatened.

"Since I never fulfilled his demand, Jonni then asked his wife to report to the police," he said. (jun)