Police question PDI's Buttu, Alex as suspects
Police question PDI's Buttu, Alex as suspects
JAKARTA (JP): National Police detectives questioned former
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) secretary-general Buttu R.
Hutapea and PDI executive board member Alex Widya Siregar on
Thursday morning as suspects in the bloody takeover of party
headquarters on July 27, 1996.
Col. Saleh Saaf of the National Police information unit said
later on Thursday evening the men were questioned as suspects for
the offenses of abuse, burning of property, causing damage to
property and the mass attack.
"When I left the office on Thursday evening, the questioning
was still going on, so I can't say much," Saleh told The Jakarta
Post.
The men arrived at the National Police Headquarters
accompanied by lawyers Paskalis Pieter, Roy Rening, Parlin
Sitorus, Jufri and Lasmidara.
Pieter said the offenses fell under articles 351, 406, 170 and
187 of the Criminal Code.
"The two were summoned here for questioning, so they showed
up," he said.
Asked if Soerjadi, the government-sanctioned leader of the PDI
splinter group which allegedly launched the attack, would be
summoned, Paskalis said a permit from President Abdurrahman Wahid
had not been issued concerning the investigation.
"Soerjadi is now a member of the Supreme Advisory Council
(DPA). A permit is needed for him," Paskalis said.
Earlier on Thursday, the National Police questioned three
generals and two colonels in connection with the investigation
into the attack on party headquarters.
Saleh identified the high-ranking officers as former National
Police chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo, former Central Jakarta Police
chief Brig. Gen. Aboebakar Nataprawira, former Jakarta Police
chief Maj. Gen. Hamami Nata, former chief of the city police
operational control Col. John Lallo and former city police chief
of detectives Col. Paimin.
Aboebakar is currently deputy chief of the National Police
Staff and Leadership School (Sespim), while Hamami is the
governor of the Police Academy.
Deadline
City police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said police detectives
were questioning witnesses in rapid succession in an attempt to
complete the investigation within the three-month deadline set by
National Police chief Lt. Gen. Rusdihardjo.
"We are questioning dozens of people who were directly
involved in the mass unrest that followed the takeover, as well
as bystanders," Nurfaizi said.
The unrest left five people dead and 149 injured. Twenty-three
people are still considered missing.
The party headquarters, which is still an issue of contention
between PDI and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) led by Megawati Soekarnoputri, is now under the
supervision of its owner, the State Secretariat. (ylt)