Syarwan questioned for seven hours over July 27 incident

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)