Preacher summoned on mid-May riots

JAKARTA (JP): The police have summoned Anton Medan, a former convict turned Moslem preacher, for questioning Monday on suspicion of his involvement in the mid-May riots in the city.

City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said Anton would have the chance to explain reports he had a role in the May 13 - May 15 riots.

"We have received several reports about his involvement in the looting and burning incidents and we want to hear from him about what actually happened," Aritonang said.

Anton has rejected two summons from the military police on the grounds he is not a military member.

His lawyer, Munir, from the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) confirmed that he had received the summons from the police for Monday's questioning.

"Anton has asked me to be his lawyer. But we haven't decided yet whether to represent him or not. If there are strong indications that he was involved (in the riots), we will not defend him," Munir told media at City Police Headquarters yesterday.

Anton has denied allegations that he was one of the organizers of the riots, which claimed hundreds of lives and caused huge material losses.

According to the former hoodlum, he was in a crowd along Jl. Gunung Sahari in Central Jakarta during the riot, but only to call on people not to destroy shops and other buildings. (edt)