Police issue another summons to Megawati
JAKARTA (JP): Police issued another summons to ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri last week, ordering her to appear for questioning Thursday.
This was the second summons for Megawati after she refused to meet the first summons on Feb. 6, citing legal flaws in the documents.
Megawati and her husband, legislator Taufik Kiemas, are to be questioned as witnesses in a case the police are building against Haryanto Taslam, a Megawati loyalist, accused of organizing an illegal political meeting at her residence last month.
Chief of the South Jakarta Police Detectives Capt. Ricko Almenza said the summonses were sent Wednesday. Although Megawati will appear Thursday, Taufik's questioning is scheduled for tomorrow. Haryanto is deputy secretary-general on Megawati's board.
"He is the only suspect to this moment," Ricko said. He did not rule out the possibility the number of suspects would increase during the police investigation.
Haryanto was chairman of the committee in charge of holding the "illegal" celebration of the party's 24th anniversary on Jan. 10 at Megawati's residence, even as government-backed chairman Soerjadi led an officially-recognized celebration in Sulawesi. Megawati gave a political speech at the gathering.
Police have said the gathering violated article 6 of law No. 5/ 1963 which stipulates that any political meeting requires a permit from the authority. Violation of the law carries a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment.
Megawati and Taufik's lawyer RO Tambunan said his clients were yet to receive the police summons up till yesterday afternoon.
"If the summons are in accordance with the Criminal Code Procedures, Mbak Mega and Mas Taufik will meet the summons," he told the Post.
According to the Criminal Code Procedures, summons should be received no less than 72 hours before a person is to appear before the police.
In a separate development, a group of Megawati loyalists gathered on Saturday near Wira Sabha meeting hall in Puncak resort area in West Java to protest a leadership meeting of Soerjadi's board, scheduled to open today.
About 40 of the supporters were reportedly attacked later by dozens of unknown men after because they refused to comply with the men's order that they disperse. Two of Megawati's supporters were reportedly injured in the ensuing brawl.
Head of the Jakarta-branch PDI Roy BB Yanis told the Post by phone yesterday that 10 Megawati supporters were later detained at a police post in the area.
A Bogor police precinct officer said that there had been no reports of any attack on Saturday nor yesterday.
Tambunan said his team of lawyers was determined to fight the use of the 1963 Law in case it was considered outdated because it was based on the already-revoked Provisional People's Consultative Assembly Decree No. I/MPRS/1960.
"So we believe this case has no weight legally. The legal punishment amounts to almost nothing. It's a case laden with many political interests," Tambunan said. (08)