Police question ex-PDI-P executives
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police investigators continued their probe into a defamation case involving former president Megawati Soekarnoputri -- leader of the second biggest political party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) -- by questioning three former party members on Wednesday.
Sophan Sophiaan, Arifin Panigoro and Angelina Pattiasina were quizzed on Wednesday as witnesses following the questioning of House of Representatives legislator Roy BB Janis, who reported the case to the police. The case is seen as an effort by splinter party members to topple Megawati from the party's top post.
"We've been summoned here as witnesses to explain this defamation case," Sophan said outside the National Police Headquarters.
On May 16 this year, Roy BB Janis, along with 11 other former party members including Sophan Sophiaan, Sukowaluyo Mintohardjo, Arifin Panigoro and Laksamana Sukardi, reported Megawati and party secretary-general Pramono Anung Wibowo to the National Police for defamation after being dismissed from the party without specific reasons, which they said adversely impinged on their reputations.
The 12 former party members insist the PDI-P congress held in Bali last March violated the party's statutes as many of the participants had been intimidated and denied their right to vote during the event.
The dismissed party members then publicly announced that an undemocratic process had been followed during the congress, and complained directly to the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. The Bali congress unanimously reelected Megawati as party leader and named Pramono secretary-general.
After Roy filed a defamation report with the police, investigators started the investigation by questioning Roy as the first witness.
Megawati and Pramono were clearly mentioned as suspects in the police summons to Roy, but the police denied they were suspects and instead claimed they were just witnesses.
Sophan said that his summon from the police was different to Roy's.
"No suspects were named in my summons," Sophan said to emphasize that the police might have made a mistake when typing Megawati's and Pramono's names as suspects in the summons for Roy.