Kei’s lawyers accuse physicians from Police hospital ‘not neutral’

Lawyer team of reputed gang leader and murder suspect John Kei planned to summon physicians from outside the National Police’s Bhayangkara Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Java to give second opinion to its client’s health immediately.

“We will summon physicians from outside the Bhayangkara Hospital because it’s physicians are no longer neutral,” Tofik Chandra was quoted as saying by kompas.com on Saturday.

According to Tofik, the physicians should have known patients who need to be treated in the hospital.

John was reportedly rushed to the hospital in Friday evening, just 24 hours before the end of his 120-day detention period, which was due to expire at midnight on Saturday.

According to the Criminal Code Procedures, the police must release a suspect if his or her case is not declared complete within 120 days.

However, a 2009 National Police Chief ruling stipulates that the detention period of a suspect can be temporarily suspended if he or she falls ill and requires immediate hospital treatment.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr Rikwanto said “John was transferred to the hospital because his blood pressure was rising and there was swelling on his gunshot wound.”

Yet, Tofik insisted that John was perfectly fine and that the temporary detention suspension was a strategy to refuse his client’s freedom.

In front of the gathering of reporters at the hospital early on Saturday, whereas John himself stated that he was healthy. “The doctors said that everything is fine. My blood pressure is also normal,” John said.

John also kicked off iron railings with his right legs, where he was shot by officers.

Since March 9, Kei has been detained at the city police headquarters after he was charged with premeditated murder in the case of businessman Tan Harry Tantono in late January. (riz)