Students disappear after revealing police poll bias

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan

Two students who accused the Medan Police of supporting incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri in the election have gone missing, the North Sumatra Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said on Tuesday.

The committee said the two University of Medan students, identified only as H and S, failed to answer two summons to appear for questioning in the police bias case.

"Until now their whereabouts are not known," North Sumatra Panwaslu deputy chairman Jannes Hutahaen said, adding that his office had contacted the students' campus and families for information on the two.

The students were recently quoted in the media about a meeting held on July 24, which they said had been organized by Megawati's local campaign team and the Medan Police to drum up support for Megawati in the Sept. 20 election runoff.

"We are waiting for them to appear and testify," Jannes said after Panwaslu questioned two other students, Oka Alam Syahputra and Syamsuddin Tarigan, on Tuesday about the police bias case.

The committee quizzed Medan Police chief Sr. Comr. Bagus and intelligence unit deputy chief Adj. Comr. I Gusti KB Harry Sara on Monday about the same case.

Oka, who chairs a student group in Deliserdang regency, and Syamsuddin, the chairman of the Student Representatives at the University of Medan, were questioned separately for one hour each at Panwaslu's office on Jl. D.I Panjaitan in Medan.

Forty students in total were present at the July 24 meeting that allegedly was aimed at mobilizing support for Megawati.

The students have accused police officers of telling those attending the meeting to help Megawati win the election.

Jannes said a preliminary investigation indicated officers did not direct students to vote for Megawati during the meeting at the Garuda restaurant on Jl. Adam Malik.

Based on statements from witnesses, there was not enough evidence to prove the police displayed any bias toward the President, even though they helped facilitate the meeting, he said.

Speaking after being questioned by Panwaslu, Oka denied police officers told students at the meeting to help gather support for Megawati.

He said he and other students were invited to the meeting by Arwin, a senior activist from the Muslim Student Association who is also a member of Megawati's campaign team in Medan.

Medan Police chief Bagus Kurniawan said on Monday the meeting was simply a get-together and was not a campaign rally for any presidential candidate.

Bagus said his office had no plans to pursue criminal charges against the students who accused the police of bias.

Partiality charges were earlier leveled against Sr. Comr. Andi Mapparesa, who was removed as Banyumas Police chief in Central Java after he made a speech that appeared to be in support of Megawati's candidacy.

Questions were also asked of the Yogyakarta Police when thousands of T-shirts bearing the picture of Megawati were found at police headquarters.