Police change stories on `Tempo' attack, lawyers for AJI say

Police change stories on `Tempo' attack, lawyers for AJI say

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lawyers for the Alliance of Independent Journalists (AJI), which
has filed a suit against the police over the attack on the
offices of Tempo weekly, accused officers on Wednesday of
changing their stories in the case.

The lawyers, grouped in the Committee of Defenders of Press
Freedom (KPKP), told the Central Jakarta District Court that
statements by police officers testifying in the trial of David
Tjioe, who has been charged with minor assault in the Tempo
attack, contracted depositions given by officers in the AJI suit.

"This proves that perjury has taken place," KPKP coordinator
Azas Tigor Nainggolan said.

The defendants in the lawsuit are the National Police chief,
the Jakarta Police chief, the Central Jakarta Police chief and
the chief of the Menteng Police substation. The suit accuses the
officers of negligence of duty in failing to stop the Tempo
attack.

Lawyers for the police have countered that the officers were
not negligent, but "could not stop David Tjioe from hitting and
kicking (Tempo chief editor) Bambang Harymurti".

David led a demonstration on March 8 of a group of people who
claimed to be supporters of businessman Tomy Winata. They were
protesting an article by Tempo which insinuated that Tomy had
something to do with the fire that badly damaged the Tanah Abang
market in February.

The court is scheduled to deliver its verdict in David's
assault case on Thursday.

In the AJI suit, presiding judge Iskandar Tjake adjourned the
hearing until July 14.

Azas Tigor said the AJI lawyers would ask the court to admit
video footage of the alleged assault on the Tempo chief editor,
which reportedly took place inside the office of the Central
Jakarta Police's chief of detectives.