Police to open fresh probe into Udin murder

JAKARTA (JP): National Police Chief Gen. Dibyo Widodo said yesterday that officers would soon begin a fresh investigation into the unsolved murder of Yogyakarta-based Bernas daily journalist, Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin, alias Udin.

Speaking before members of House Commission I for defense and security, Dibyo said the police had started questioning Sgt. Maj. Eddy Wuryanto.

Dibyo said the investigation would seek to find mistakes that Eddy might have committed in the original investigation.

Eddy is the police detective who compiled the dossiers on the sole suspect Dwi Sumaji, alias Iwik.

Iwik was accused of murdering Udin on the grounds that the journalist was having an affair with his wife. Iwik was exonerated from all charges by the Bantul District Court on Nov. 27 because of a lack of evidence.

When asked for his reaction should Iwik decide to sue the police, Dibyo said: "Please, let him sue."

The investigation into the murder of Udin, who many people believed was murdered for his reporting of corruption in the area, became controversial, especially when only minimal evidence was found against Iwik. Government prosecutors initially rejected the police dossiers on Iwik six times.

There were also no witnesses or circumstantial evidence to support the charge that Iwik murdered Udin on the night of Aug. 13, 1996. Iwik himself said he had been put under duress to confess to the crime.

Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung said yesterday that the Armed Forces headquarters would support the reopening of the case and would take appropriate action against any of its members found to have been involved in the murder.

The Military Police Corps commander, Maj. Gen. Syamsu D., said yesterday there was a possibility his personnel might question former Yogyakarta Police chief Brig. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman.

Mulyono is now deputy chief of the Central Java Police.

In a statement published by the Media Indonesia daily after his release, Iwik accused Mulyono of being involved in the murder.

A former National Police operations chief, Maj. Gen. (ret) Koesparmono Irsan, suggested last week that a new team be established to investigate the murder. (imn)