Police summon legislators

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)