RI may protest to Holland over drug allegations

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia may send a note of protest to The Hague over allegations by the police in a Dutch newspaper that Indonesian diplomats are involved in trafficking Ecstasy.

"We feel the police accusations are an affront to the nation because they have never contacted us or provided us with convincing evidence about the charges," Suhartono Hadikusumo, the head of the Indonesian Embassy's information section in The Hague said on Monday.

He was quoted by Antara as saying that there are absolutely no grounds for the charges. He added that neither the Dutch police nor the Dutch Foreign Ministry had presented any formal notice of their allegations.

De Telegraaf on Monday reported the Dutch police had accused staff of the Indonesian Embassy of involvement in an Ecstasy smuggling ring.

This latest report puts a new twist on the arrest of Garuda pilot Mohammad Said for carrying some 8,000 Ecstasy pills.

The paper on Monday quoted a report by the Dutch Criminal Investigation Agency (CID) chief D. van Teijlingen which identified a man by the name of Bert. H., a resident of Bijlmeer, southeast of Amsterdam, as the ringleader of the drug syndicate.

The report said CID suspects "the secretary of the trade attache" at the Indonesian embassy as being the ring leader of Bert's group.

The Ecstasy pills were reportedly smuggled in the embassy's diplomatic pouches, and carried by Garuda crew members.

The Telegraaf said CID had been observing the suspects for the last month.

Suhartono yesterday said the Indonesian Embassy intends to take decisive action against the press report.

He said the embassy will either send a note of protest to the Dutch Foreign Ministry or even take legal action.

Meanwhile, in Jakarta yesterday morning, Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas said he had yet to receive a full report on the matter.

"Please give me time," he said when besieged by reporters. Alatas had just returned the day before from a two-day visit to Kuala Lumpur.

"I have just returned...I know of the matter and I am looking into it," he said.

While Alatas had little to say on this most recent development, he did comment on the alleged mistreatment of Said in the custody of the Dutch police.

"KBRI (the Indonesian Embassy) has contacted the Dutch government and expressed its displeasure at the handling of the case," he said.

"If he is guilty then he should be tried, but there are rules on how to handle such things," Alatas added.

During his first few days of arrest, Said had been denied legal counsel. Visitation rights from representatives of the Indonesian Embassy had apparently also been denied.

It was further reported that Said might have been victim of brutality while being interrogated.

Alatas yesterday deplored this alleged mistreatment.

He asked how developed countries like the Netherlands, which continually champion human rights and the humane treatment of prisoners, could fail to respect such principles.

"They should, instead, give a good example of how to treat people who are being accused," he said.

"We're unhappy that they are doing things which are not too humane," he added. (mds)