Plaintiffs drop lawsuit against Gen. Bimantoro
Plaintiffs drop lawsuit against Gen. Bimantoro
JAKARTA (JP): Comr. Sr. Alfons Loemau and seven other middle-
ranking police officers withdrew on Wednesday their lawsuit
against the National Police Commander Gen. Surojo Bimantoro.
Their lawyer, Irianto Subiakto, said that his clients decided
to withdraw the suit as they wanted to make peace with the police
chief.
"Comr. Sr. Alfons supports the process of reconciliation
within the police force. He does not want the process to be
disrupted by the lawsuit," Irianto told reporters in a press
conference at the South Jakarta District Court.
He underlined that the plaintiffs decided to withdraw the
suits voluntarily.
"It was not made under police coercion," he said.
The press conference was also attended by the court chief,
Lalu Mariyun, who announced that there would not be any hearing
as the suit had been revoked.
The court was scheduled to open the hearing of the case on
Wednesday based upon the suit that was registered last week by
the lawyer.
The eight officers had sued Bimantoro following what they
claimed was their unlawful arrest and detention in connection
with the insubordination charges imposed against them.
They also said in the lawsuit that the National Police could
not charge them for violating the military criminal code, arguing
that the police must now abide by civilian laws and regulations.
All eight officers are still under police detention.
The officers were accused of staging a revolt against
Bimantoro as they discussed Bimantoro's defiant stance against
then President Abdurrahman Wahid. The discussion was held along
with dozens of middle-ranking officers at National Police
Headquarters on July 9.
The officers criticized Bimantoro for refusing to step down as
ordered by the then president and regarded him disobedient.
Following the discussion, the eight officers were summoned,
but Alfons failed to show up. He was later declared a fugitive
and arrested at his home in South Jakarta.
Irianto told reporters that even though the suit was withdrawn
this did not necessarily mean that the eight officers had pleaded
guilty or approved of the arrest and detention.
He also called the police chief to release them soon, to
rehabilitate their name and to allow them to go back to work.
The lawyer said that on Friday he was told by an officer from
the National Police Headquarters that he was not allowed to see
his clients.
He said it was not until Tuesday that he and the other lawyers
could meet Alfons, who later told them about the decision to
withdraw the suit.
Meanwhile, Bimantoro's lawyer, Comr. Sr. Suyitno, responded
positively to the plaintiffs' decision. He said that case would
be discussed internally by the National Police.
He said he did not know when Alfons and the other seven
officers would be released from detention.
"It all depends on their direct supervisor," he said, adding
that Alfons was assigned to the information and data processing
unit before his arrest.
He said that the withdrawal of the suit would not
automatically solve the problem but he believed the police would
accept Alfons and the other seven officers.
"What's clear is that he is not an enemy because all are part
of the National Police community," he said.(04)