Security beefed up at prosecutor's office after attack

Security beefed up at prosecutor's office after attack

Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Mataram

Security was tight at the West Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor's Office
on Tuesday following Monday's attack by thousands of alleged
supporters of Governor Lalu Serinata demanding the release of
nine jailed graft suspects.

Dozens of police were on guard on Tuesday, while all visitors
to the office had to pass through a metal detector.

According to the prosecutor office's public relations officer,
Maryadi IK, the security measures were taken as a precaution
after the attack. "Security measures are being taken in
coordination with the police," he said.

The prosecutor's office also restricted visitors wanting to
visit the nine jailed former councillors who were arrested last
week after 12 people, including three councillors who are still
in office, were named suspects in a mark-up case involving Rp
24.5 billion (US$2.7 million) of the West Nusa Tenggara 2001
provincial budget.

"We're simply being selective in giving permission. We only
give permission to their close relatives (to visit)," Maryadi
said.

Protesters smashed the prosecutor office's windows and injured
several journalists covering the protest as well as Mataram
Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ismail Bafadal by pelting them with
stones.

The protest was allegedly conducted to show support for
Governor Lalu Serinata who will be questioned as a witness in the
case.

The protesters feared the governor, who was head of the budget
committee when the case took place, would be named a suspect
after the questioning. The protesters also demanded the release
of the jailed graft suspects.

Ismail Bafadal said on Tuesday the police were now
investigating the alleged involvement of the governor and the
jailed graft suspects in the attack.

"If he's (the governor) proven to have been involved in the
attack, we'll follow it up. We don't want to rush in saying he
was directly or indirectly involved in the case. There's always
other possibilities, including the nine jailed suspects as well
as the provincial administration officials who joined the
protesters in the attack," Ismail said.

The police, he said, would soon question some protesters,
airing his suspicion the attack was well-planned. Unlike usual
demonstrations, when the protesters arrived in front of the
prosecutor's office they did not make any speeches but
immediately pelted the building with stones.

"The attack was conducted systematically. There are people who
controlled the protest from the start. We have enough data about
it, but this is a process, it should be done in stages and we
can't disclose the names of the suspects (in the attack)," he
said.

Governor Lalu Serinata regretted the attack, telling people on
Tuesday not to be provoked and to allow the prosecutors to deal
with the case.

When asked of the protesters' fear that his questioning, which
is scheduled on Wednesday, was a move to unseat him, he said: "It
will not be easy to bring down a governor".

He said he was ready to be questioned as a witness in the case
but refused to comment when asked whether he was behind the
attack, or someone was trying to tarnish his name as the
protesters claimed to be showing support for him.