Sri Bintang to enter Cipinang prison: Attorney General

JAKARTA (JP): Former legislator Sri Bintang Pamungkas will be moved to East Jakarta's Cipinang prison today, Attorney General Singgih said yesterday.

Bintang's wife Ernalia and lawyer Luhut M.P. Pangaribuan told The Jakarta Post last night that the Attorney General's office had told them Bintang would be moved today.

Singgih said Bintang would be moved from the Attorney General's detention center because he had lost his appeal, Antara reported yesterday.

Bintang has been detained there since March 6.

Prosecutors' office spokesman Suhartoyo said Bintang would be moved according to "the Supreme Court's decision that Bintang was sentenced to two years and 10 months."

The Supreme Court ruled that Bintang was guilty of defaming the President in his lectures in Germany.

Bintang was arrested March 5 on charges of subversion through the activities of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party, which he chairs. He and Julius Usman and Saleh Abdullah set up the small organization.

Julius and Saleh have been charged but released.

Singgih said investigation of the subversion charges against them would continue.

"His (Bintang's) imprisonment will not affect investigations into the subversion charges," Singgih said.

Bintang's lawyers have demanded his release citing a lack of initial evidence. They also say his arrest was a set up.

Bintang was arrested after having lunch with Julius, Saleh and the attorney general's intelligence chief Gatot Hendrarto. Gatot invited them to the attorney general's office after lunch where they were arrested.

Last Tuesday Ernalia said Bintang had always refused to answer his interrogators' questions because they had not told him why he had been arrested and detained.

"From the beginning Mas Bintang always asked the interrogators (why he had been arrested) but they never replied," she said.

Julius and Saleh were interrogated last Tuesday as witnesses in Bintang's case.

Julius said, "Principally I told them the reason of establishing the party was to accommodate people's aspirations that could not be absorbed by the existing parties." (05/anr)