Police summon legislators

JAKARTA (JP): Police are expanding the investigation of former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas and planning to summon four legislators to testify on Monday.

Bintang is accused of insulting President Soeharto and slandering the government in a series of anti-Indonesian government demonstrations and seminars in Germany in April.

The demonstrations, spearheaded by European non-governmental organizations, were held during President Soeharto' state visit in Germany. The legislators were members of the President's entourage.

The House members to be summoned are Muhammad Mansyur, Tengku Gazali Amna, both from the United Development Party (PPP); Markus Wauran from the Indonesian Democratic (PDI), and Haris Ali Moerfi from the ruling Golkar functional group, Antara reported.

"I received the letter (from the police) today," Muhammad Mansyur told reporters.

Apart from the four, there were six other legislators in the President's group, namely Suratman, Alief Meliana -- both from the Armed Forces, Fachrudin, Wazaraka, Muhammad Muas from Golkar, and Laksmiari Priyonggo from PDI.

Mansyur said he is yet to obtain President Soeharto's written approval to testify, as required by law.

He said that he met Bintang at the Indonesian stand in the Hannover Fair '95 but that he did not know anything about demonstrations. He said he learned about the protests from staff at the Indonesian Embassy in Germany, who saw them on television.

"I met him (Bintang) for less than five minutes. I chatted and we had our picture taken," he said.(imn)