Police to question 8 more for subversion

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police have thus far summoned 12 opposition figures for questioning on suspicion of trying to topple President B.J. Habibie's government and plan to question eight others on the same charges.

The head of the General Crimes Unit, Col. Edi Darnadi, told The Jakarta Post that the "arrests for questioning" of the 20 people "have nothing to do with the political elites."

"Police are protected by Articles 16 and 17 of the Penal Code to arrest and question anybody suspected of committing crimes, meaning that we do all these things in line with the existing rules," Edi, who next week is scheduled take up his new post as Bone Police chief in South Sulawesi, said on Tuesday.

Giving no names about the eight other people, Edi said seven suspects would be summoned for questioning at his office on Jl. Trunojoyo in South Jakarta on Wednesday.

"Today (Tuesday), we have two suspects, Roch Basoeki Mangoenprojo and Koen (Soekarno)," the officer said.

But reports on Tuesday evening said that the police failed to question Roch as the later could not reach his lawyers to accompany him.

Irianto from the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, who is also secretary of the suspects' team of lawyers, told the Post on Tuesday that Usep Ranuwihardjo of the Indonesian National Party (PNI) and Waskito of the Indonesian People Party (PARI) would be questioned by police on similar charges on Wednesday.

According to police data, the 12 already questioned include former Jakarta governor Marine Lt. Gen. (ret) Ali Sadikin; former head of Army Strategic Reserve Command (Kostrad) Lt. Gen. (ret) A. Kemal Idris; the youngest daughter of former president Sukarno, Sukmawati Soekarnoputri; politician Sri Bintang Pamungkas; his elder brother, economist Sri Edi Swasono; University of Indonesia Alumni (Iluni) chairman Hariadi Darmawan; businessman Meilono Suwondo; Iluni executive M. Haryono Kartohadiprojo; soothsayer Permadi; Pribadiyo S.; Roch Basoeki Mangoenprojo and Koen Soekarno.

Most of them were picked up by police detectives at different places and times beginning early Saturday evening, one day after the bloody "Black Friday" incident at Semanggi.

Almost all of the people were named as suspects on their respective warrants. But none of them have been detained by the police.

Edi said they were "arrested for questioning".

Today's list

According to Irianto, Ali Sadikin, Kemal Idris, Sri Bintang and Roch Basoeki are to be questioned again together with Usep and Waskito on Wednesday.

On Monday, National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Togar M. Sianipar told a media briefing that summonses against the suspects were issued to the signatories of a joint communique declaration which was made public last Thursday.

Police have coordinated with the Ministry of Justice's Directorate General of Immigration and the Jakarta Prosecutor's Office to prevent the 10 people from leaving the country.

Roch and Koen had yet to be named at the time he was speaking.

"We have prohibited the 10 people from going abroad until we finish the questioning process and draw final conclusions," Togar said.

Irianto said the team of lawyers for the suspects would consist of more than 150 lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aids Foundation (YLBHI), the Indonesian Bar Association (Ikadin), the Association of Indonesian Lawyers (IPHI), the Indonesian Advocates Association (AAI), Lawyers for the Defense of Indonesian Democracy (TPDI).

The team is coordinated by YLBHI chairman Bambang Widjojanto and supported by -- among others -- Todung Mulya Lubis, Otto Hasibuan and Hotma Sitompul.

Noted lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis, who represents Ali Sadikin, said on Monday the police had overreacted in summoning the 10 people as they were equipped with warrants instead of just ordinary summonses.

Roch told reporters on Tuesday that he and his colleagues who signed the communique "have no intention of trying to topple the government".

"Is it wrong that we support student demonstrations?" Roch asked.

Police said the suspects convened at the Andrawina room in Sahid Jaya Hotel on Jl. Sudirman in Central Jakarta and signed a strong antigovernment declaration, a joint communique, demanding that Habibie's government be replaced.

"This declaration indirectly or directly interrelates with their previous action of mass recruitment with which the suspects then enforced their dissenting opinion," Togar said.

The declaration was also related to the wave of student protests so that fresh unrest hit the capital, he claimed.

"A student deliberately hit soldiers in a cordon that was blocking students from marching. There was even the throwing of Molotov cocktails at police and soldiers and attacks on public facilities," Togar said.

The figures are suspected of violating Article 107 and Article 110 of the Criminal Code on subversion, which carry maximum penalties of lifetime imprisonment.

However, noted law expert Loebby Luqman who was summoned to brief police said there were many classifications of an attack on the government and each should be carefully interpreted.

"There are many layers of subversion. It can also refer to an intention accompanied by initial action. So if it is just a mere intention, it can't be categorized as a subversive action," he said Monday when asked to comment on the 10 suspects' case.

Kemal Idris, who revisited the police headquarters at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, strongly denied that his group was involved in a subversive act against the government.

"If anyone thinks that we're attempting a coup against the government, she or he is crazy," he said. (bsr/emf/ind/46)