PUDI executives reject evidence

PUDI executives reject evidence

JAKARTA (JP): The three politicians of the unrecognized
Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) being detained for
disseminating antigovernment messages through Idul Fitri
greetings cards rejected evidence produced by the Attorney
General's Office yesterday.

Lawyer Dwiyanto Prihartono said the investigating officials
showed the party's deputy chairman Julius Usman a copy of a card
containing Arabic characters and asked whether it was one of the
subversive cards sent out by him and his colleagues.

"Julius rejected it, because PUDI sent out cards with writing
in Latin script, not Koranic verses in Arabic characters,"
Dwiyanto said.

Party chairman Sri Bintang Pamungkas, Julius and fellow deputy
chairman Saleh Abdullah are being questioned for sending out Idul
Fitri greetings cards which called on the recipients to boycott
the May 29 general election.

The cards also contained the rest of the party's agenda,
namely rejecting the renomination of President Soeharto for
another term of office next year and establishing a post-Soeharto
political order.

The politicians have admitted to producing and sending out the
cards, but they are also being investigated for drafting a
constitution to replace the existing 1945 Constitution, and for
other political activities.

Dwiyanto said the officials also showed Julius a copy of the
draft constitution which they alleged was produced by the
politicians. Julius again rejected the evidence. Dwiyanto said
the one produced by the officials consisted of 139 articles,
while the draft drawn up by PUDI consisted of 142 articles.

During the questioning yesterday, Julius and Saleh were
represented by lawyers Dwiyanto and Hotma Timbul Hutapea. Sri
Bintang Pamungkas was questioned separately; he was accompanied
by lawyer Achmad Fauzan.

Dwiyanto said that even after the questioning had concluded
yesterday, it was still unclear as to what the politicians were
being accused of. Despite flaws in the arrest procedure he said
his clients had been cooperative and willing to be questioned.

Asked about the different versions of the cards, Deputy
Attorney General for Special Crimes Ismudjoko only said that
lawyers had the right to say anything to defend their clients.

"(The cards) that we have are the real ones," he said.

In Semarang, Central Java, Muladi, a legal expert at
Diponegoro University said Bintang's public statements had left
him a sitting duck waiting for the government to shoot him with
subversion charges.

Under Indonesian law, subversion carries a maximum penalty of
death.

"Bintang's statements were legally self-incriminating, despite
the fact that, according to logic, they were fit to be seen as
calls for greater democratization," he said.

"His statements calling for people to boycott the general
election have undermined the government's authority, but one
should be free to express one's beliefs," he said. (05/har/aan)