Students disappear after revealing police poll bias

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.