Police rule out politics in reporters' arrest
JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Banurusman Astrosemitro ruled out political motives behind the arrest of two journalists charged with trespassing.
"The case is purely criminal and the police are treating it accordingly," Banurusman told The Jakarta Post in the Central Java capital of Semarang yesterday.
He was commenting on last week's arrest of journalists Victoria I.G. Sijabat and Yul Adriansyah from the current affairs magazine Sinar. The two have been charged with trespassing at the residence of Rachmawati Soekarnoputri in Cilandak, South Jakarta.
The journalists were collecting evidence on reports that she was dating police officer Lt. Col. Benny Sumarno, which has allegedly wrought havoc on her marriage to Dicky Suprapto.
Police said the journalists' dossiers will be transferred to the court in the near future unless Rachmawati, a daughter of the late president Sukarno, withdraws her complaint.
Speculation has it that the arrests and the publicity surrounding Rachmawati's marriage life are part of a "third party's" efforts to blemish the Sukarno reputation.
Rachmawati, 44, and Dicky Suprapto, 54, have filed for a divorce with the local religious court, each accusing the other of having an affair.
"Let me state that there are no political motives behind the arrests," Banurusman said.
The Sukarnos' political clout has been strengthened since the election of Megawati Soekarnoputri, his eldest daughter, as chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party in 1993.
Banurusman said that the authorities had no intention of using the arrest to politically undermine the Sukarnos.
On Monday, the Jakarta branch of the Association of Indonesian Journalists (PWI) formed a team of lawyers to defend the two reporters as requested by Sinar's chief editor.
The reporters face a maximum term of imprisonment of nine months and/or a maximum fine of Rp 4,500 (US$2) if they are found guilty.
In a related development, the Jakarta branch of the Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) criticized the city police yesterday for "hastily" charging the journalists.
Chairman of the LBH office, Luhut MP Pangaribuan, said that the police should have handed over the reporters to PWI's honorary council before detaining them for questioning.
If members of the council later find enough evidence that shows that the two have violated the press code and other existing rules then they will be transferred back to the police for further questioning.
The city police are still completing their case and still questioning several other witnesses. The interrogators yesterday questioned Dicky as one of the key witnesses. (bsr/har)