Politics behind moves to reopen July 27 case: SBY

The Jakarta Post Jakarta Presidential candidate Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono warned the authorities on Wednesday not to reopen the probe into the July 27 incident, which he views as an attempt to spoil his chances in the country's first ever direct presidential on July 5.

"It is very important to know the parties responsible for the July 27 incident.

"It must be clarified. It should not be that because I'm campaigning for the presidency that the authorities then force me to accept responsibility for the incident," he told reporters at his campaign headquarters.

Susilo, one of the five candidates eying the country's top post, was chief of staff of the Jakarta Military Command when the violence broke out on July 27, 1999.

A joint team of Military Police, National Police, and the Attorney General's Office had questioned him as a witness in 2000 and 2001.

"I know it (the reopening) is due to orders from the central power," said Susilo, adding that the public should be allowed to follow the probe so that they can witness "whether the proceeding is based on the law or is politically motivated," he said.

The joint team said on Monday that they would speed up the conclusion of the probe into the bloody takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta in 1996.

At least five staunch supporters of Megawati Soekarnoputri were killed in the incident.

Separately, Governor Sutiyoso, who was the Jakarta military commander and the superior of Susilo, expressed readiness to answer a possible summons involving the July 27 probe.

"Definitely I will fulfill the summons ... I won't evade my responsibility as the then incumbent Jakarta military commander," Sutiyoso told reporters at City Hall.

He said he had not received any summons from the police.

Sutiyoso refused to comment on speculation that the case might relate to the upcoming presidential election.

"No comment. Besides, I'm not running for president," he argued.

He denied his involvement or that of his military personnel in the bloodshed, claiming that the death of five victims during the incident was due to a clash among protesters.

"It was the protesters who caused the fatalities, not my personnel," he asserted.

Separately, police announced on Wednesday that the joint police and military team investigating the case had completed their task.

"Hopefully the dossiers can be handed over to prosecutors next Monday," said Insp. Gen. Dadang Garnida, deputy chief for the criminal and investigation division.

The first dossier is against three civilian suspects and the second is against Lt. Col. Budi Purnama and First Lt. Suharto, who were both officers with the Jakarta military command. The third is against PDI members Alex Widya Siregar, Buttu Hutapea, Harsoko Sudiro and Sihombing.

The team still has six other dossiers with suspects former deputy chief of the military intelligence body Brig. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, former chief of the military intelligence body (BIA) Maj. Gen. Syamsir, Lt. Gen. Sutiyoso, former Jakarta Police chief Maj. Gen. Hamaminata and Jakarta Garrison chief Col. Tritamtomo.

Observers had earlier alleged that political motives were behind the speeding up of the probe as it seems to have been timed to coincide with the campaign period for the presidential election on July 5.

Susilo, who resigned from Megawati's Cabinet in March, has topped surveys as the most popular presidential candidate.