Indonesian police say Prabowo ally Kivlan Zen ordered the assassination of President Widodo’s top security officials
- Two suspects arrested after the May 21-22 Jakarta riots told police they received orders from Kivlan, a former two-star general
- The revelations come as police remain on high alert for further violence before Friday, when Prabowo’s election-rigging claims will be heard in court
Two men who were detained in the wave of arrests after the May 21-22 riots claimed that Kivlan was the person who instructed them to kill security minister Wiranto, maritime minister Luhut Pandjaitan, National Intelligence Agency chief Budi Gunawan and presidential intelligence adviser Gories Mere.
Kivlan, who is under arrest for illegal possession of weapons, earlier told local media he had no knowledge of the matter.
But in video testimony shown to press on Tuesday, one of the suspects said Kivlan, via the assassination plot organiser Haji Kurniawan, gave them 55 million rupiah [US$3,850] and told them to use a rifle and a pistol to carry out the shootings.
Haji Kurniawan testified in the video that he had received S$15,000 (US$11,000) to buy weapons and to pay for expenses for the assassinations from Kivlan, whom he described as his senior and a general whom he respects.
