Wiranto signs dossier on lawsuit against Tomagola

Wiranto signs dossier on lawsuit against Tomagola

JAKARTA (JP): Former Indonesian Military (TNI) chief Gen.
(ret) Wiranto appeared at the National Police headquarters on
Wednesday to sign his dossier of defamation he had filed against
a University of Indonesia sociologist.

A National Police officer who requested anonymity said the
dossier concerned his testimony as a witness in a police case
which Wiranto had filed against sociologist Tamrin Amal Tomagola
for defaming him on television.

"Last year, in a TV talk show hosted by (comedian) Mi'ing
Bagito, Tamrin said that those behind the Maluku riots were
Wiranto, former Army's Strategic Reserves Commander (Kostrad)
Let. Gen. Djadja Suparman, Brawijaya Military Commander
overseeing East Java Maj. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, and former TNI
chief of general affairs Lt. Gen. Suaidi Marasabessy," the
officer said.

He said Wiranto had filed his report on Nov. 24 last year.

Wiranto arrived at the National Police detective unit at 1
p.m. in a maroon Mitsubishi Chariot with registration number B
1947 W. Dressed in a white batik shirt and flanked by one of his
bodyguards, Wiranto entered the building and came out about 20
minutes later.

The police officer said the detectives questioned Djadja,
Suaidi and Mi'ing as witnesses in connection with the case.

Tamrin, a native of Halmahera in North Maluku, leads an
organization facilitating reconciliation between conflicting
groups in Maluku.

Thousands have died in the protracted violence, which first
erupted in January 1999. There have been signs of revival of the
conflict recently.

In an interview with The Jakarta Post last year, Tamrin said
the continuing conflict in Maluku fell in line with the Army's
struggle to protect its political and economic interests
following the end of the New Order regime.

Then defense minister Juwono Sudarsono repeatedly said that
based on intelligence reports, there were strong indications that
former cronies of Soeharto were supplying arms and personnel to
conflict afflicted areas, particularly in the Malukus, East
Timor, Irian Jaya and Aceh.

The government imposed a civil emergency status in Maluku and
North Maluku late in June last year in a last-ditch effort to
stop the violence. (ylt)