Police interrogate Sri Bintang
Police interrogate Sri Bintang
JAKARTA (JP): The police began questioning legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas yesterday over his alleged role in the anti- government demonstrations that took place during President Soeharto's recent German tour.
The legislator from the Moslem-oriented United Development Party (PPP) was interrogated as a witness at national police headquarters.
He was questioned by an officer of the police investigation department in the presence of Director of the National Police Investigation Department Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo and Head of the General Investigation Unit Col. Suparman.
Bintang was accompanied by two lawyers from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan and R. Dwiyanto Prihartono, during the four-hour interrogation.
He told journalists after the interrogation that he was questioned about his educational background as well as his activities in Germany.
Bintang left for Germany on March 28 and returned to Indonesia on April 13. Military officials have, on various occasions, alleged that he took part in a string of protests in Germany.
His questioning is to be continued today.
Meanwhile Brig. Gen. Rusdihardjo confirmed on a separate occasion that Bintang was still being questioned as a witness in a case of defaming President Soeharto.
"We are still collecting evidence," he told reporters. He added that the police have not determined who is the prime suspect in the defamation case.
Bintang, an outspoken PPP legislator, told a press conference yesterday that his visit to Germany was not to mobilize the demonstration against the President.
"I went to Germany for a series of lectures at two German universities, the Indonesian Students Association in Germany, and interviews with several foreign radio stations," he said.
"The demonstration would have happened anyway even if I had not been in Germany because it had long been prepared by local activists," he added.
He, however, admitted that he did witness one demonstration held near his hotel in Hannover.
"I was in the crowd because I was curious about what they were protesting," he said.
Bintang's acknowledgement was different from the statement issued by the Indonesian Embassy, saying that it had evidence and eyewitnesses that he together with human rights activist Yeni Rosa Damayanti were seen carrying posters.
In the latest twist, the new edition of Gatra magazine reports that a Hannover university student, Inge Jaeger, 29, denied that Bintang and Yeni were behind the demonstration and claimed that her group was responsible for the action.
"We organized the demonstration. It is strange that Bintang and Yeni were linked with the demonstration," Jaeger told the weekly.
She said that the demonstration had been prepared since the beginning of February with the involvement of 21 non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
It was the forum of the 21 NGOs that invited Bintang and Yeni to Hannover for the Hannover Fair 1995.
Jaeger also denied allegations that Goenawan Mohamad, former editor of the defunct Tempo magazine, masterminded the demonstrations.
"We did not know who Goenawan was," she said.
Goenawan has also denied the accusations. He had already arrived in Singapore and was on his way home from a visit to Germany when the demonstration against President Soeharto occurred, he said.
He said that he had been traveling for a month through the Netherlands, Germany, France and England since March 1.
Meanwhile, Yeni said that she did not participate in nor organize any demonstration.
"I only saw the demonstration. What's wrong with that," she said in Netherlands.
She also said that she was acting as an invited guest to speak at Hannover University. She then went to the Netherlands after the university program was over.
Yeni is reportedly still in the Netherlands to participate in a lecture on journalism.(imn)