“Please correct [the reports], the police have not named Kivlan Zen as the mastermind behind the [post-election] riots,” Tito told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com.

Tito comments were made in response to reports that the police had accused the former Army general of being the mastermind behind the riots that took place between May 21 and 22. A report in Koran Tempo on Wednesday titled “Mastermind or Puppet”, suggested that the police had accused Kivlan of funding the riots, which resulted in the deaths of nine and left hundreds injured.

Tito said the police had revealed the chronology of events, which were divided into the peaceful protest and the planned riots, at a press briefing at the Office of Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister in Jakarta on Tuesday.

“In my opinion, the riot that occurred after 10:30 p.m. on May 21 was planned. However, we never said that Kivlan Zen had planned it,” he said.

Kivlan was arrested and named a suspect of conspiracy and illegal arms possession pertaining to the alleged aborted assassination plot against four state officials and a head of a polling organization.

“Based on the facts, suspect testimonies and the evidence we have collected, we found that there had been an agreement to plot an assassination against four state officials and the executive director of a polling organization,” Jakarta Police general crimes investigation directorate deputy chief Sr. Comr. Ade Ary Syam Indradi said at Tuesday’s press briefing.

Kivlan has been accused of ordering two other suspects, identified only as I and AZ, to carry out the assassination. He also allegedly provided Rp 150 million [US$10,501] to purchase firearms and chose the targets of the plot.

The targets have been identified as Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto, State Intelligence Agency (BIN) head Budi Gunawan, a former police general and creator of the Densus 88 counterterrorism squad, Gories Mere, and Yunarto Wijaya, the executive director of Jakarta-based pollster Charta Politika.

Kivlan’s lawyer, Tonin Tachta, said that he had sent a letter requesting the legal protection and release of his client on bail to a number of ministers and high-ranking army officials, including one of the targets of the alleged assassination plot.

He said that Kivlan had requested that the letter be sent to Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, Wiranto, Army Strategic Reserves (Kostrad) commander Maj. Gen. Besar Harto Karyawan and chief of staff Maj. Gen. M. Bambang Taufik, as well as the Army’s Special Forces (Kopassus) general commander Maj. Gen. I Nyoman Cantiasa.

“We sent the letter on June 3,” Tonin said on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Ryamizard said he had not received the letter and refused to comment further on the issue.

“I will first discuss it with my legal team,” he said. (ars)

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