Syarwan questioned for seven hours over July 27 incident

JAKARTA (JP): Former Armed Forces (ABRI) chief of sociopolitical affairs Lt. Gen. (ret) Syarwan Hamid denied on Tuesday any foreknowledge of the July 27, 1996 violent takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Syarwan's lawyer, Capt. N. Sirait, said his client did not have any motives to be involved in the attack, adding that Syarwan only knew about the incident after the takeover had already happened.

Syarwan was questioned as a witness in the case for seven hours at National Military Police Headquarters (Puspom) by a joint military-police investigation team.

A list of military and police officers, allegedly implicated in the July 1996 incident, however, indicated Syarwan was a suspect in the case.

At the conclusion of the session, Syarwan refused to comment to reporters.

Col. Hendardji, Director of Investigation at military police headquarters, said investigators asked 45 questions of Syarwan.

"During questioning, he repeatedly answered that he did not know," Hendardji said.

Hendardji declined to discuss the questions explaining that he did not have the authority to make any statements.

The July 1996 attack involved supporters of a PDI splinter group, led by Soerjadi, which forcefully took over the party's headquarters on Jl. Diponegoro from supporters of former PDI leader and now Vice President, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

The attack, widely believed to have been supported by elements of ABRI, left five dead and 23 who reportedly are still missing. The attack triggered massive unrest in the Menteng area near the party headquarters.

Brimob

Earlier on Monday, Hendardji said that elements of the police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) were allegedly involved in the attack.

The joint investigation team has questioned several high- ranking military and police officers, including former City Police chief Insp. Gen. Hamami Nata, Maj. Gen. Zacky Anwar Makarim, Maj. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, Maj. Gen. (ret) Suwarno Adiwidjoyo and Brig. Gen. Basyir Barmawi.

Hendardji said that former chief of City Military command and incumbent Governor of Jakarta Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso would be questioned on Monday while former chief of the National Police Gen. (ret) Dibyo Widodo would be questioned at the end of the month. (jaw)