Police question retired general over speech
JAKARTA (JP): Maj. Gen. (ret.) Theo Syafei, former chief of the Udayana Regional Military Command, was summoned by the city police on Wednesday for questioning concerning reports that he was responsible for spreading anti-Muslim information and fomenting hatred against Islam.
City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman told reporters that the six-hour questioning was part of the police investigation into the allegations.
"Pak Theo is named as a suspect in our investigation," Noegroho said.
Theo reportedly disparaged Muslims in a speech before a group of Christian youths at a church in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), prior to a riot on Nov. 30 involving Muslims and Christians.
Theo's speech was believed to have fueled Christian resentment ignited by a bloody riot in Ketapang, West Jakarta, on Nov. 22, in which many churches were vandalized and burned.
Some people reportedly recorded Theo's speech and distributed the cassettes to the public. A newly published tabloid Abadi also ran a special report on Theo's speech and printed the complete transcript of the cassette.
The top military officer has lodged a complaint against the tabloid for libel at the city police.
Theo said that he had been libeled by the front-page report of the Dec. 24 premiere edition of the tabloid under the headline: Theo dan Kerusuhan Kupang (Theo and the Kupang Riots).
When asked whether police had collected enough evidence for the case, Noegroho said that the information they had was adequate and several witnesses had been questioned.
"Today's questioning was intended to hear his side of the story concerning the allegation," Noegroho said, adding that Theo would be summoned again if police needed further information.
Theo arrived at the city police headquarters at about 10 a.m., accompanied by his lawyers.
Didi Supriyanto, one of Theo's lawyers, said police asked Theo 12 questions, and most of them were about the recorded speech and its transcript.
"Police have not yet asked him whether or not the voice in the cassette is his (Theo's)," Didi said.
Police said Theo could be charged with violating Article 156 of the Criminal Code on the spreading of hatred, which carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison.
Theo served a brief stint as legislator in the Armed Forces (ABRI) faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) before he was withdrawn in 1997 for criticizing then president Soeharto.
After the questioning, Theo, who recently joined the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) lead by Megawati Soekarnoputri, said that he was ready to face any charges.
"Yes, I'm ready to face any charges if they (police) can prove that I'm wrong," he told reporters. (emf)