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)