PUDI's activists released but remain under suspicion

JAKARTA (JP): The Attorney General's Office released two leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) yesterday, but said they would remain suspects in an on-going investigation into subversion.

Julius Usman, deputy chairman of the party, and Saleh Abdullah, secretary-general of the party, left their cells at the Attorney General's Office where they had been held since their controversial arrest on March 5.

Party chairman Sri Bintang Pamungkas remained in custody because there was no reason to release him, Suhartoyo, the spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, told reporters.

Bintang has refused to answer any questions from his interrogators, demanding that the Attorney General's Office first explain why he was arrested.

Julius and Saleh had been released in response to demands by their families and lawyers, but only after they had guaranteed that they would not flee, Suhartoyo said.

Julius and Saleh were obliged to report to the Attorney General's Office every Monday, he said.

The subversion charges against them had not been dropped and the investigation could still continue, he said.

A trial could not be ruled out, he added.

The two men had to meet future summonses from the Attorney General. If they failed to do so, they would be put back in their cells, Suhartoyo said.

The conditions of their release did not include barring them from making political statements, he added.

Bintang, Julius and Saleh have been charged over PUDI's activities. They founded the party last May in defiance of a 1985 law which allows only three political parties.

Their list of "sins", according to the government, includes calling for a boycott of the May 29 general election. The call appeared in their Idul Fitri cards sent to many senior government officials, including Vice President Try Sutrisno.

The party also drafted a constitution to replace the 1945 Constitution.

The circumstances surrounding their arrest were the subject of committal procedures at the South Jakarta District Court yesterday.

Their lawyers said that on March 5, Bintang, Julius and Saleh were invited by the Attorney General's intelligence chief Gatot Hendrarto to lunch at a South Jakarta restaurant, supposedly for a discussion.

At the lunch, the three men agreed to Gatot's suggestion that they continue their discussion at his office. When they arrived at his office, they were arrested. Julius and Soleh left the building for the first time yesterday.

Bintang's lawyers, led by Bambang Widjojanto of the Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation, continued their demand yesterday that the court declare that his arrest violated Criminal Code Procedures.

His committal hearing will continue today.

Besides the latest charges, Bintang has been sentenced to 34 months imprisonment for insulting President Soeharto.

He has not begun the jail term because he has lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Bintang was a member of the House of Representatives for the United Development Party until he was dropped in 1995 for his repeated criticism of the President and the Armed Forces. (05)