UI student who knocked down troops released

JAKARTA (JP): Police said on Wednesday that a student detained for driving his vehicle into a cordon of security personnel, injuring nine soldiers in the process, was released on Nov. 27.

City police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman told The Jakarta Post that police inquiries into Anas Allamoedi in relation to the incident of Nov. 11 on Jl. Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, were complete.

"We're just waiting for the legal process to progress," he said. Anas will be required to report regularly to the police.

The reasons for his release, he said, were that first, "the Armed Forces did not want to be considered seeking revenge" for the student's alleged action.

Noegroho also said there was a request from the University of Indonesia's School of Law, where Anas studies, that the student be given permission to sit his exams.

Noegroho also cited the Criminal Code procedures which says a suspect may be detained for a maximum of 20 days.

Noegroho denied there was any pressure to release Anas.

Late last month Noegroho said police were undecided whether to release Anas on bail.

Anas was detained after he drove his red VW Safari car through a cordon of troops drawn up to prevent student protesters from marching toward the People's Consultative Assembly building.

He reportedly originally faced charges of attempted murder, which under the Criminal Code carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. He was also charged with causing bodily harm, which carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment, and of carelessness causing injury to others, which also carries a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.

But Noegroho announced later that Anas would only be charged with a traffic offense, although this could still result in a jail term.

His lawyer Apong Herlina, director of the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute, has said Anas' defense would be self-defense, in that he stepped on the gas pedal in panic. (imn)