POLICE READY TO PROTECT THREATENED HOUSE MEMBERS

Jakarta, Feb 16 (ANTARA) - Police are ready to protect House of Representatives (DPR) members who have received threats from other people, a spokesman said here Tuesday.

"Legislators who think they have received threats should report to the police. But so far, we have not received any such report," Jakarta Police Headquartres' spokesman Senior Commissioner Boy Rafli Amar said.

After receiving a report, police would not provide the protection by immediately posting officers around the threatened legislator because not all people would agree to be protected in that way, he said. "Instead, we will first discuss the technicalities of the protection with the legislator concerned," Boy said.

Police would take requests for protection from any citizen, including House members, seriously, the more so when threats had actually been received, Boy said.

The Jakarta police spokesman made the statements when asked about reports that Faisal Akbar, a People's Conscience (Hanura) Party member sitting in the House Bank Century Inquiry Committee, had received threatening calls because certain people resented his critical statements in the investigation.