Sutiyoso 'invited' in July 27 probe

JAKARTA (JP): The National Police has issued what they term an "invitation" to three former retired military generals to answer questioning as witnesses in connection with the forcible takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters on July 27, 1996.

Spokesman Brig. Gen. Dadang Garnida identified the generals on Wednesday as Gen. (ret) Feisal Tanjung, Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid and Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso.

The three were respectively the Armed Forces chief, Armed Forces chief of sociopolitical affairs and Jakarta Military commander when the incident took place.

Feisal and Syarwan no longer hold positions of power in the government, but Sutiyoso is governor of Jakarta.

It remains unclear whether the men will come in for questioning, which was scheduled for either Thursday or Friday.

Dadang said earlier that if the police questioning revealed the retired generals play significant roles in the bloodshed, their cases would be submitted to the Military Police Headquarters.

Interrogators assigned to review the investigation into the incident questioned Col. Tritantomo, who was chief of the Infantry Brigade I/City Security (PIK) during the incident, as a witness on Wednesday.

He is now commander of the Wijayakrama Military Resort, which supervises West Jakarta and the Tangerang area.

"He was only questioned as a witness to complete the dossiers of the suspects. That's all," Dadang said.

PDI supporters loyal to Soerjadi took over the building on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta on July 27, sparking widespread unrest. (ylt)