Two generals asked to testify in trial

YOGYAKARTA: Gen. (ret) M. Panggabean and Gen. (ret) M. Yusuf are obliged to testify in the trial of Soekardjo Wilardjito, a former guard of founding president Sukarno, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

The presence of the two generals was absolutely needed because they were the ones who filed a report against Soekardjo with the police last year for defamation.

"Old age cannot be used as an excuse to avoid the court," said Budi Hartono, Soekardjo's defense lawyer.

Soekardjo claimed last year that he saw Panggabean and Yusuf pointing their guns at Sukarno in order to force him to sign the Supersemar Decree in March 1966. Through this decree Sukarno handed over power to Soeharto, who then reigned as president for the next 32 years.

The two generals denied Soekardjo's allegation. They said Sukarno voluntarily signed the letter.

The head of the prosecutor's office in Yogyakarta, Soeparman, said on Monday that Soekardjo's trial would start soon. He said it was difficult to ask the two generals to testify because of their poor health. (44/prb)