Bendera activists defy police summons

JAKARTA: Activists from the Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (the Indonesia Democracy Fortress) refused to go to police headquarters for questioning over a defamation allegation.

Muchtar Bonaventura and Ferdi Semaun, delegated 25 lawyers to go to the police station to protest the charges against them.

"The police terrorized people who gave them a tip-off about the alleged corruption," said Saor Siagian, one of the lawyers. He accused the police of having a hidden agenda.

"Why have people who have information on the Bank Century bailout, which is now being investigated by the antigraft agency, been named as suspects of defamation?" he said as quoted by vivanews.com.

A number of government officials including the Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa and Coordinating Politics, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto reported the two activists to the police for accusing them of receiving bailout money.

Politician Rizal Mallarangeng and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's son, Edhie Baskoro, or Ibas, also reported the activists for the same allegation. - JP