Soebadio questioned at police HQ

JAKARTA (JP): Former politician Soebadio Sastrosatmo was questioned about his alleged defamation of President Soeharto yesterday for two and a half hours at City Police Headquarters.

Soebadio, who is represented by eight lawyers from the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association, PBHI, was questioned by five detectives from 10:30 a.m.

Today his personal secretary Buyung Rachmat Buchori Nasution is scheduled to be questioned about Soebadio.

Soebadio, the founder of the now defunct Indonesian Socialist Party, has been charged with defaming President Soeharto in his book New Era, New Leader: Badio Rejects the New Order Regime's Engineering.

Hendardi, PBHI's executive director said the lawyers would reject the summons on Buyung's behalf because people had a legal right to refuse to answer a summons to be a witness in a case he or she was involved in.

City Police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said: "Soebadio was officially questioned for defaming the president. So far he has not been detained."

Subadio's lawyers include Luhut M. Pangaribuan, Tumbu Saraswati, Tri Media Panjaitan and Hendardi.

Hendardi said his client was protesting with silence.

"Soebadio has communicated with us and the police only in writing since Sunday. He will keep it up for the next three days," he said.

He said Soebadio was asked 26 questions. They were similar to the ones he was asked by the Attorney General's Office on May 5 when he was questioned on Buyung's involvement in the alleged defamation.

Police have charged Buyung with processing and distributing the banned book.

Soebadio's 22-page book was officially banned on March 4 by Attorney General Singgih. Singgih said the book could provoke unrest and create a negative image of the government.

Yesterday's questions focused on the production process and substance of the book.

"There were questions on each paragraph," Hendardi said.

He said Soebadio was charged under article 134 of the Criminal Code on defaming the President, and article 137 on printing, publishing and distributing matter insulting to the President.

"If found guilty my client could face six years jail for article 134, and one and a half for article 137," Hendardi said.

The questioning sessions by both the Attorney General's Office and the police "reflected the absence of coordination" between the institutions, he said.

He said the police had followed procedures.

Hendardi said the state should not interfere too much in political expression. (cst)