Private Budi sues Wiwid

JAKARTA (JP): Private Budi Leksono, a member of the Presidential Guard, lodged a complaint at the Central Jakarta Police station on Monday against Wiwid Pratiwo for defamation.

"Wiwid has spread lies with groundless statements. I'll pursue truth through the existing laws," Budi said.

Budi, who is on suspension from his unit for desertion, admitted that he filed the complaint on his own initiative.

"Nobody forced or influenced me to do this," he said.

Budi, wearing civilian clothes, met with the head of the Central Jakarta Police detective unit, Maj. Budiyono Sandi, for half an hour.

On Nov. 21, Wiwid, 21, told the National Commission on Human Rights that Budi forced him under the threat of violence to become an informer and to spy on student demonstrators during the recent Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

In a face-to-face meeting at the Military Police headquarters last Friday, Budi strongly denied all of Wiwid's allegations, saying that he had no capability or reason to recruit students for military purposes.

"I never did such things. How can a poor, second private like myself recruit a student," Budi asserted.

"My relationship with Wiwid is like that of a brother. Wiwid's parents regarded me as a member of the family," he told reporters on Monday.

According to Wiwid, Budi also sent him to recruit civilian guards to police the streets during the Special Session of the MPR.

Wiwid, formerly a Trisakti University student, was apprehended by students at Atma Jaya University on Nov. 15 after they became suspicious of his activities.

He also claimed that on Nov. 13, Budi warned him several hours in advance that a "shooting spree" would take place near the Semanggi cloverleaf.

However, Budi is confident that he will win the case if it goes to trial, because, he asserts, he is telling the truth. (emf)