Questioning of Sjahrir on hold

JAKARTA (JP): The city police have temporarily ended the questioning of Sjahrir, one of the country's top economists, a senior officer said on Monday.

Head of the Jakarta Police unit for special crimes, Lt. Col. Winarno, said "the questioning of Sjahrir has been stopped temporarily, but we're trying to obtain further evidence."

Winarno refused further explanation of the postponement.

According to Sjahrir's lawyer Hendardi, from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association, the police questioning of his client has been temporarily stopped due to a lack of evidence.

"Sjahrir was summoned today by the police but there was no questioning at all," Hendardi said at a media briefing at Sjahrir's house in Central Jakarta.

"Police only told us that they don't have or have not yet found enough evidence to charge him (Sjahrir) with criminal offenses," the lawyer said.

The police have questioned Sjahrir as a witness to alleged violations of the Criminal Code's Article 160 on agitation and Article 510 on public disorder, as well as the newly issued Law on Freedom of Expression.

Sjahrir's summons on Monday was his second. He was first questioned last Tuesday.

His lawyer claims the questioning of Sjahrir is a "bad precedent", as the police only named a witness to the alleged crimes without naming any suspects.

"It's feared that police can easily summon any civilian without the latter knowing what they are being summoned for."

In the first summons, the police named Sjahrir as a witness to the massive student rally in front of the People's Consultative Assembly building on Nov. 14.

City Police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman told the media at the time of the questioning that Sjahrir "attended the gathering and even gave a speech in front of the building's gate." (emf)