A12 WORLD | THE STRAITS TIMES | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2019 |

Retired general Kivlan Zen, who is in police Ex-general behind Jakarta custody, was allegedly behind the plot to kill four senior state officials and assassination plot: Police a high-profile pollster. PHOTO: KIVLAN ZEN/FACEBOOK

Protesters Second suspect, believed to be shooting fireworks at involved in procurement of police during firearms, said to be PPP politician clashes in Jakarta last month. Francis Chan According to Indonesia Bureau Chief statements of In Jakarta suspected hitmen currently in police Retired Indonesian army general custody, the Kivlan Zen was behind the plot to assassinations assassinate four senior state offi- were supposed cials, as well as a high-profile poll- to take place ster, during the riots in Jakarta last amid the chaos month, said the police yesterday. of the riots. At a press conference, Adjunct ST PHOTO: Chief Police Commissioner Ade Ary ARIFFIN JAMAR Syam Indradi disclosed that a local politician with the initials HM was also involved in the procurement of firearms for the alleged hit. Indonesian police typically do not name suspects in ongoing inves- tigations, but several local media reports identified the politician as United Development Party (PPP) cadre member Habil Marati. The PPP is one of nine political parties that nominated President Joko Widodo for re-election. Both men are now in police cus- tody pending further investiga- tions, said Commissioner Ade, who is Jakarta police deputy director for general criminal investigations. “Based on facts, the testimony of witnesses and evidence, they con- mand and a close ally of presiden- FIVE TARGETS ON HIT LIST ments indicate that he had master- rupiah to conduct surveillance as sorted to direct the premeditated tial candidate Prabowo Subianto. minded the assassination attempt. part of preparations for the killing. murder of four national figures and The latter, himself a former army Based on facts, the testimony of Referring to statements of sus- “Mr Kivlan took out his mobile the executive director of a survey in- general, has refused to concede the witnesses and evidence, they pected hitmen currently in police phone and showed the address and stitute,” he added. April 17 election. The General Elec- consorted to direct the custody, Commissioner Ade said photo of Pak Yunarto from the Commissioner Ade confirmed tions Commission (KPU) has de- Mr Kivlan allegedly provided 150 quick count institution (Charta Poli- that the officials on the hit list were clared that Mr Joko won the polls. premeditated murder of four million rupiah (S$14,400) to one of tika),” said Commissioner Ade, Political, Legal and Security Affairs Street protests mounted by national figures and the executive them to procure five firearms for reading out from the statement of a Coordinating Minister Wiranto; groups supporting Mr Prabowo director of a survey institute. the assassination. suspect he identified only as IR. Maritime Affairs Coordinating Min- against the KPU election results re- The cash was originally from Mr According to the statements, the ister Luhut Pandjaitan; Indonesia’s leased on May 21 quickly escalated Habil, who had handed to Mr plot was hatched as early as April spy chief Budi Gunawan; and presi- into widespread unrest across the Kivlan a total of $15,000 in Singa- this year, and was supposed to take dential aide Gories Mere. capital, Jakarta, for two days. pore banknotes specifically to buy place amid the chaos of the riots. Jakarta-based political consulting Preliminary investigations indi- ADJUNCT CHIEF POLICE COMMISSIONER firearms, including “M-4 or M-16” ri- National police spokesman Mo- firm Charta Politika’s executive di- cate that the perpetrators of the ’’ADE ARY SYAM INDRADI, referring to the fles from Aceh province. The M-4 hammad Iqbal, who was at the same rector Yunarto Wijaya was the fifth riots were simply pawns and “paid two suspects in the assassination plot – carbine assault rifle is a shorter and press conference yesterday, said a target. He is also a regular TV pundit. thugs” in a larger conspiracy to de-le- retired army general Kivlan Zen and a local lighter variant of the American- total of 233 police officers were in- politician with the initials HM. Several local Commissioner Ade did not ex- gitimise the vote count, Mr Wiranto media reports identified the politician as made M-16. jured during the riots that took place plain why the five men were tar- said last month. United Development Party (PPP) cadre Mr Habil was arrested in his between May 21 and May 23. geted for assassination. It is still unclear if Mr Kivlan, who member Habil Marati. South Jakarta home on May 29. Eight of them are still warded in Mr Kivlan, who last held the rank is also facing illegal firearm posses- The retired general also provided hospital. of major-general, was former chief sion and treason charges, orches- the names of the five targets to the of the Army Strategic Reserve Com- trated the riots, but latest develop- hitmen, and gave them five million [email protected]

Malaysian Prime Minister (far right) with Economic Abe on high-stakes Affairs Minister Azmin Ali at a press conference in yesterday. Umno supreme council member two-day visit to Iran Lokman Noor Adam has called on ’s graft busters to investigate an allegedly suspicious transaction involving the bank account of Datuk Seri Azmin. Walter Sim Iran, in retaliation, has followed PHOTO: BERNAMA Japan Correspondent through on a threat last month to In Tokyo speed up its production of enriched PROBE AUTHENTICITY uranium, International Atomic En- ergy Agency chief Yukiya Amano I want the police to Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday. It has also threat- arrives in Teheran today for a high- ened to blockade the Strait of Hor- investigate the stakes two-day visit, as world lead- muz, through which a third of all authenticity of the videos, ers scramble to defuse rising ten- crude supplies traded by sea passes. who has been spreading sions in the Middle East and to stop Japan has split with the US to a nuclear deal from blowing up. back the nuclear deal known as the the videos and also the He is the first Japanese premier to Joint Comprehensive Plan of Ac- ‘actors’ involved... (Their) visit Iran in 41 years. tion (JCPOA), which was signed by acting was not very good. While Japan and Iran tout their Iran, Russia, China, Britain, France, positive ties and mark the 90th an- Germany and the United States. niversary of diplomatic relations Mr Abe, who has won Mr Trump’s this year, generations of Japanese support for the visit, said last leaders have been caught in the po- month with the US leader beside UMNO SUPREME COUNCIL MEMBER litical crossfire between Iran and its him: “The tension needs to be miti- ’’LOKMAN NOOR ADAM, who has also security ally, the United States. gated and alleviated, and should lodged a police report over the images. Mr Abe, joined by Foreign Minis- not culminate in armed conflict.” ter Taro Kono, will meet Iranian Still, Japanese officials, in a bid to President Hassan Rouhani this tamp down expectations, have bris- evening and Supreme Leader Aya- tled at recent media portrayal of Mr Mahathir unaware of sex video allegedly involving minister tollah Ali Khamenei tomorrow. Abe as a mediator or an interlocutor. “The Middle East is of crucial im- Dr Yasuyuki Matsunaga of the portance to Japan’s energy security, Tokyo University of Foreign Stud- and Iran is essential to the stability ies told The Straits Times that of the region,” a senior Foreign Min- Japan’s influence is limited as it is PUTRAJAYA • Malaysian Prime lan Rakyat (PKR) leaders in the video resembled. any parties, including those from istry official told reporters yester- not a signatory of the JCPOA. Minister Mahathir Mohamad and . “I want the police to investigate her (former) political party,” he day on condition of anonymity. He added: “Since the fundamen- yesterday denied knowledge of The authenticity of the images the authenticity of the videos, said, referring to Ms Latheefa Mr Abe’s trip follows a visit by Ger- tal problems that Iran is facing to- the spread of a sex video and sev- could not be verified. The website who has been spreading the Koya, who resigned as a member of man Foreign Minister Heiko Maas day is caused not by Iranian action eral lewd photographs purport- said that the name of one of the videos and also the ‘actors’ in- the PKR after being appointed this week in a bid to salvage the 2015 or inaction, but by unilateral (ac- edly involving a Cabinet minister, creators of the group chats was volved,” he said after arriving at head of the anti-graft agency on nuclear pact. During Mr Maas’ visit, tions by the) US, the true mediating reported. listed as “Saifuddin Abdullah”, the district police headquarters in June 1. Iran’s top diplomat Mohammad work needs to be done in Washing- The video and photos where two while another was identified as Putrajaya, adding that their “act- Mr Lokman said that the office of Javad Zarif warned: “Reducing ten- ton DC, not in Teheran.” men – one of whom resembles a “Tian Chua”. ing was not very good”. Attorney-General Tommy Thomas sion is only possible through stop- Keio University’s Professor Koi- Cabinet minister – appeared to be But PKR vice-president Tian Datuk Lokman, who was at the should act on the allegations if ping the economic war by America. chiro Tanaka sees Mr Abe as caught engaging in sexual acts, began Chua, who was attending a confer- Malaysian Anti-Corruption Com- they are true. Those who wage such wars cannot between a rock and a hard place. spreading via WhatsApp early on ence in Geneva, Switzerland, told mission (MACC) headquarters ear- Mr Lokman also alleged that Dr expect to remain safe.” If Mr Abe is to show Japan’s sincer- Monday morning. that the WhatsApp lier, also called on the graft busters Mahathir was seeking to make The unfurling crisis stems from ity as a partner to Iran, he may have “I do not know anything. I have group chat did not belong to him, to investigate an allegedly suspi- opposition party Umno an illegal US President Donald Trump’s deci- to “defy existing US sanctions on just heard, I would have to read up while fellow PKR member, For- cious transaction involving the party, while poaching its members sion last year to withdraw from the Iranian crude oil (as) anything on it,” Tun Dr Mahathir said in re- eign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah, bank account of Economic Affairs over to his Parti Pribumi Bersatu nuclear pact, and reinstate tough short of that will not be sufficient to sponse to a question by a reporter said he was not the person behind Minister Azmin Ali. Malaysia in a bid to boost its domi- sanctions on Iran that have led to portray Japan’s independent role”. during a press conference in Pu- the WhatsApp group. He said the alleged transaction of nance in the ruling Pakatan Hara- sharp inflation and a devaluation of If the trip does not go well, Prof trajaya. Meanwhile, Umno supreme around RM3 million (S$983,000) pan coalition. the Iranian rial. This has hurt liveli- Tanaka warned, “the hawks within The Malaysiakini news website council member Lokman Noor occurred in December 2017, when “This is for them to be the domi- hoods and wiped out earnings. the Trump administration could said the video and pictures were Adam has lodged a police report Datuk Seri Azmin was still the nant party in . I Mr Trump has also threatened well (claim) that ‘all diplomatic chan- shared in a number of WhatsApp over the images, The Star reported. Menteri Besar of . call my fellow friends in Umno to sanctions on any country that buys nels have been exhausted’, and that group chats with reporters, adding While he did not name any names, “I make this report hoping that think this through and thank those Iranian oil. Japan, which previously the time for diplomacy is over”. that the participants in the group he told the media that it was clear the new MACC chief will act with- who have been approached by Tun bought 5 per cent of its oil from chats included several Parti Keadi- which politician one of the men in out bias and will take action against but rejected his offer,” he said. Iran, has since stopped doing so. [email protected]