Scores of elite police troops and an armored vehicle surrounded the official and private homes of Indonesia's defiant national police chief as night fell here Thursday, hours after President Abdurrahman Wahid ordered legal action against him and possibly his arrest.
Two platoons (64 men) of elite Brimob police and an armored vehicle had taken up guard outside General Suroyo Bimantoro's official residence in south Jakarta while another three platoons were on guard outside his private home on the city's outskirts, Detik.com and Satunet news reported.
One of the police guards was quoted as telling Detik that they were under orders from Brimob commander Jusuf Manggabarani to "secure" the officially dismissed police chief's homes "from all threats, either from within or without."
National police deputy spokesman, Senior Commissioner Timbul Sianturi, was unable to explain the presence of the troops at Bimantoro's house when contacted by AFP.
However he said the police headquarters had yet to receive an arrest order for Bimantoro from the presidential palace.
Bimantoro, who has refused to hand over command despite being suspended then officially dismissed by Wahid, has not been seen in public here since he took 10 days leave on Tuesday, saying he was heading to Singapore for a medical check-up -- JAKARTA (AFP)
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