Winters receives death threat

JAKARTA (JP): The United States of America Embassy received a death threat targeting American scholar Jeffrey A. Winters, lawyer Todung Mulya Lubis confirmed on Thursday.

"The unknown caller told embassy staff that 20 snipers were ready to shoot Winters dead on his way to meet a National Police summons," Todung said at police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Todung was quick to deny a connection with the threat and Winter's recent naming by police as a suspect for allegedly defaming Coordinating Minister for Economy, Finance and Industry, Ginandjar Kartasasmita.

"I don't believe that this threat is related to Ginandjar or other high-ranking officials.

"Winters was surprised when told about the (threat) ... We asked police to provide additional security for him."

National Police Headquarters was under tight security as Todung accompanied Winters during the five-hour questioning by police detectives of general crime units. Also accompanying Winters were a staff member and security personnel from the United States Embassy. All journalists were searched.

Winters became the noted lawyer's client last year, after the alleged defamation occurred in October.

Winters, an associate professor at Northwestern University in Illinois, said last October that then minister of mines and energy, Ginandjar Kartasasmita, had profited handsomely from the renewal of mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia's contract of work.

Winters said earlier he based his allegations on already widely disseminated material provided by Econit, a research group headed by noted economist Rizal Ramli.

Police claim Winters violated Article 316 of the Criminal Code on defamation.

Ginandjar has denied the allegations.

Todung confirmed his client would leave the country as scheduled on Friday, after responding to a summons at the Attorney General's Office.

Winters is scheduled to return to work on Monday, Todung said.

Separately, police detective chief of the general crime unit Col. Makbul Padmanagara, said officers had completed questioning Winters but that he remained a suspect.

A travel ban was unnecessary given his lawyer's guarantee, the detective said.

Winters arrived on Sunday for a six-day visit to launch the Indonesian translation of his books, Power in Motion and New Order's Political Sins. (emf)