Politics behind moves to reopen July 27 case: SBY

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.